


Red Rain

by HysteriaLevi



Category: Batman: The Telltale Series (Video Game)
Genre: Fanfiction, M/M, Romance, cobblebats - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2017-08-26
Packaged: 2018-12-12 02:33:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 29,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11727693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HysteriaLevi/pseuds/HysteriaLevi
Summary: With the discovery of his father's crimes, Harvey losing his sanity, and Lady Arkham on the rise, life in Gotham is difficult enough for Bruce, and he finds himself treading down a darker path. Though, it isn't until an unexpected visit from an old friend, that he realizes he doesn't have to fight through it alone.





	1. The Visitor

**Author's Note:**

> So, not only am I new to this website, but this is also the first fan fiction I've ever written and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous to share it. But at the same time, I feel like there isn't enough Cobblebats content out there, so I decided to give it a shot. Please let me know what you think and I hope you enjoy! :)

From Bruce’s POV

I relaxed on one of the multiple couches scattered around Wayne Manor, letting my mind drift as I watched the news on the television. It was extremely late in the evening--almost dawn--and rain had been showering down on Gotham for the past few hours, but I still hadn’t been able to fall asleep. My brain was fried (quite literally) from my time in Arkham, and I hadn’t completely gotten over the heated encounter with Harvey’s guards, or the phone call I received from the mayor himself moments earlier.  
I couldn’t believe Harvey. What the hell was he doing, putting armed guards on every street? And for what? “To protect Gotham from the Children of Arkham?” If anything, it just screamed “paranoia” to me.

And as if that wasn’t bad enough, Harvey had recently become obsessed with trying to kill me. He claimed it was because of my father’s crimes, and that the Waynes needed to be “brought to justice,” but we both knew that was bullshit. He never cared about “bringing me to justice” until he caught me at Selina’s apartment--or at least--what remained of it after the fight.

Though, as much as Harvey’s actions hurt me, I knew it wasn’t his fault. None of it was. No matter how much the media or the police blamed him, I knew it was really because of that damned drug Vicki had pumped into him.

I just wished I could’ve saved him at that debate. Sure, I stopped Oz from melting his face off, but even then it was too late. He had already been infected with the crazed chemical, and with every passing day, the Harvey I once knew disappeared more and more.

Before I could think on the subject anymore however, a knock on my door tore me away from my thoughts. It was Alfred.

“Hey, Al.” I greeted as he walked in. “I thought you were sleeping.”

He straightened his posture. “I could say the same thing about you.”

“I tried to.”

“Hmm, too much on your mind, perhaps? Wouldn’t be surprising, considering recent events.” Alfred adjusted his glasses. “Are you, err...doing all right, sir?”

I gave him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, Alfred. I’m fine. Just a little overwhelmed with everything, but I’ll get over it.”

The butler sighed. “I know, I know. You’ve always been strong, Bruce--there’s no doubt about that, but you’re also human. Even Batman needs to rest once in a while. Try not to push yourself too hard.”

Alfred stepped closer. “But, I didn’t come here simply to check on you. I came to let you know that you have a visitor.”

I shot him a puzzled look. “Now? This late?”

“Believe me, I was surprised as well. And normally, I would tell them to return at a later time, but I thought you might want to see this one.”

“Who is it?”

Concern plastered itself onto his face. “Sir...it’s Oswald.”


	2. Consolation

From Bruce’s POV

Hurrying down the wide staircase, I made my way under the extravagant chandelier, past the ballroom, and to the manor’s foyer. According to Alfred, that was where Oz was waiting for me.

To say I was curious would’ve been an understatement. What on earth was Oz doing here, and at this hour? I mean, I expected a confrontation with him sooner or later, considering I beat the shit out of him on live TV, but this was entirely random. He wasn’t exactly the type to just “stop by.”

Maybe I should’ve been more cautious. After all, Oz wasn’t the same little boy I knew twenty years ago. He was a notorious criminal now--”The Penguin”--and who knew what he was planning to do with me tonight? Knowing him, I would probably be shot the minute I came into sight.

Reaching the foyer, I tried to calm my nerves a bit, my motions slowing down subconsciously and my eyes scanning the area. Every step that I took on the marble floor echoed throughout the entire room with a sharp clack, and my heartbeat pounded like a drum in my own head. 

Not too far away from me, I spotted Oz himself resting against a pillar in front of a tall window, the pale moonlight framing his body and casting a slim, eerie shadow on the opposite wall. 

Contrary to what I expected, the man appeared to be relaxed. His back was facing me, shielding his front from view, but I could see his shoulders gently rising up and down with his breath, and his arms were crossed. Maybe I got lucky, and he wasn’t planning to kill me.

“...Oz?” I said carefully, unsure of his motives.

After taking a moment to gather himself, he turned to look at me. My eyes popped open in both shock and guilt at the sight. 

Oz looked as if he had just gotten out of a car crash. His face was covered in fresh, purple bruises, his nose had been broken, he had a severe black eye, a couple of stitched gashes carved through his skin, and his bottom lip was split. Holy shit. Did I do all that?

“Oz,” I repeated, at a loss for words, “I’m so sor--”

“Just shut up.” He snapped back. I froze mid-sentence. Oz began walking towards me. Now I was nervous.

“What are you doing?” I blurted out, preparing to defend myself.

After closing the distance between us, Oz simply glared directly into my eyes as if he were searching for answers, but he didn’t look angry. Instead, he looked...sad? No, he was definitely sad. He resembled a puppy that had just been kicked, and stared at me like a little kid who was about to cry.

“Oz,” I said once more, “are you okay?”

His nose crinkled. “...you...you were right.”

I paused. “I--what? What are you talking about?”

He let out a frustrated groan. “Back at the press conference, when you told me I was just a pawn to the Children of Arkham--you were right, goddamn it!”

“Just slow down, Oz. Tell me what this is about.”

Oz gripped the sides of his head. “Lady Arkham--Vicki--whatever you call that bitch--she used you as an attempt to kill me! She wanted you to beat me to death.”

“Wait, why would she want to kill you? Aren’t you supposed to be on the same side?”

He calmed down a little. “Yeah...we were. But I was always a toy in Vicki’s eyes. Once she got all the fun she wanted out of me, and I had served my purpose, it’d be time to throw me away...and that’s exactly what she tried to do back there.”

I frowned. “I’m sorry, Oz.”

He scoffed. “No, you’re not. Don’t gimme that shit. Vicki wants your head on a platter, and you’re telling me you’re sorry she just tried to murder her own henchman?”

“I may disagree with the Children of Arkham, but I still care about you, Oz.”

If Oz heard what I said, he didn’t acknowledge it. He just stood there in silence, letting his gaze fall to the floor.

“Come on,” I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Let’s get you out of the foyer. We can talk in my room.”

Oz tore away from my grip. “No.”

“Are you sure?” I asked again, slightly hurt by the rejection.

“No. I mean--yeah. Yes, I’m sure.” He turned away. “I should go. I don’t even know why I came here in the first place. I just...fuck. I dunno what to do.”

“We can talk if you need to, Oz. I don’t mind.”

“No, that’s fine. I think I’ll just find solace at the bottom of a bottle instead. You don’t need to babysit me.”

I wasn’t convinced, but I decided not to push the subject further. “Well, all right, I guess.”

Oz headed towards the front door. “G’night, Bruce.”

“Goodnight, Oz.” Before he pulled open the door and walked out however, I said one last thing, stopping him in his tracks. “I meant what I said earlier. You ever need someone to talk to, I’m here.”

The other man didn’t reply, but I knew he heard me. 

Letting himself out, Oz shut the door behind him and disappeared into the city just as the sun began to peek over the horizon, painting the manor with a dim, golden tint. I was still trying to process what had just happened with my old friend, and countless questions swam through my head, but something in the back of my mind told me that wouldn’t be the last time I’d ever see him. And for the first time in two decades, I hoped I was right.


	3. The Return

From Bruce’s POV

I stood in the middle of the Vales’ house, taking in the grotesque crime scene as the police guided the boy I found to safety, leaving me alone with Gordon. The lieutenant was staring at Mrs. Vale’s corpse who lay on the floor of the living room, her jaw limp and open, and her eyes gouged out. Meanwhile, the other police officers were examining Mr. Vale, who was currently hanging from a belt in a storage closet.

My nose wrinkled at the stench. The entire house was covered floor to ceiling in blood, and the unmistakable scent of Vicki’s drug lingered in the air, mixing with the smoke from Gordon’s cigarette.

“I just don’t get it,” the lieutenant shook his head. “Why would the Children of Arkham attack a family like the Vales?”

“Because their daughter, Vicki, is Lady Arkham.”

Gordon nearly choked on the smoke. “Vicki!? Wait--Vicki Vale the reporter?”

“She killed her own parents so she could use their company warehouse to stockpile the rest of her drugs. The boy said he heard something about drugs, and attacking the police. Can’t confirm anything, but it sounds like the Children of Arkham might be plotting something against your people. The warehouse is Vale Oil & Heating. You should secure it as soon as possible.”

“Well, thanks for the heads up. I’ll get on it right away. What about you?”

Just then, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. Who was texting me? It wasn’t Alfred, that much was obvious. He knew I was Batman right now. If he wanted to talk, he would’ve just spoken to me through my earpiece. I silently groaned. It was probably Harvey, lecturing me about Selina again. Though, I was going to have to deal with him later. There was another problem at the moment.

Out of nowhere, the commissioner stormed through the front door like an angry bull, his stern eyes piercing right through mine.

“What’s going on in here?” He barked.

“Securing the crime scene, commissioner.” Gordon answered.

“Not anymore, you’re not,” he strutted further into the house. “I’m taking over this investigation. I can’t risk you allowing Batman to contaminate our crime scene again.” He threw a dirty look at me. Absolute ray of sunshine, this guy.

Without saying anything--anything aloud, at least--I took my leave and quickly strode out of the house, bumping shoulders with the commissioner along the way. 

Well, that was done. Now it was time to see who was trying to text me. 

Hopping back into the Batmobile, I bolted through the streets of Gotham, the tires screeching and fallen leaves whirling behind my trail in a flurry as the outside view became a giant blur. Before I knew it, I was back home and pulling up to Wayne Manor. When I saw who was waiting at the door however, I hastily switched to my regular red car in panic before my guest could see me.

It was none other than Oz. Again. Uninvited. Again.

His long, black coat was missing from his attire today, and instead, he only wore a white t-shirt along with a simple bracelet on his right wrist. It was odd seeing him without his signature piece of clothing.

Coming to a halt, I slid out of the Batsuit and tried to exit the vehicle as casually as possible, quickly popping my earpiece out and straightening my shirt.

I approached the short staircase which led to the manor’s entrance. “Oz?” I called out. His attention jolted towards me from above.

Oz appeared to be in better shape than last night. His face was still bruised and broken, but he seemed to have calmed down ever since our brief conversation. Maybe now he’d actually tell me what was going on.

“There you are,” he said, sounding annoyed. “I tried texting you, but maybe I should’ve sent a pigeon instead.” 

“That was you?”

“Yeah.” He rested his hands on his hips. “I dunno, maybe I should’ve called?”

“No, no, it’s fine,” I reassured. “I was just expecting Harvey, is all. Is there something you needed?”

Oz awkwardly peered at me in silence. It was the same look he gave me last night.

“Is...everything all right?” I double-checked. Why was he acting so strangely?

More silence. This was getting uncomfortable now. I could try inviting him inside. Maybe that would divert his attention.

“Do you want to talk inside? We can sit down somewhere.”

Still nothing. What did he want?

He finally responded. “...why are you being so nice to me?” The question left me dumbfounded.

“Why?” I shrugged. “Erm...I don’t know. You’re my friend. Why wouldn’t I be nice to you?”

Oz didn’t seem convinced. “Oh, is that what you were doing at the press conference? Being nice? Well, anyways, I thought I might pay a visit. Figured you’d want an explanation for last night.”

“That would be appreciated.”

He sighed. “I told you about what Vicki did to me, yeah?” His expression softened with sorrow. “I... guess I just needed to vent to someone. Also I was a little drunk, so I may not’ve been thinking straight.”

“And you came to me? I thought you hated me.”

“Oh, no--I still do. But, for some reason, I felt like I needed to talk to you specifically. And to be perfectly honest, I was expecting Alfred to shoo me off the minute I showed up at your door. I didn’t even think you were still awake. I just...had to be...here.”

I nodded. “I can understand that. After all, you have a lot of memories here.”

“...right.”

I stepped closer. “Oz, I’m just gonna say it. I feel like this has to do with more than Vicki betraying you. This seems personal.”

Oz was clearly reluctant to open up. “Vicki and I were friends. Close friends. So yeah, I may have been a little pissed about her trying to murder me. And I know murder don’t exactly mean much to you Waynes, but in my world, it’s not normally considered a pleasant thing.”

I tried keeping my cool. I would’ve been lying if i said Oz hadn’t just struck a nerve.

“My parents were murdered too, Oz. You know this.”

He glowered at that. 

Before we could continue talking however, Alfred stepped into the scene--prim and proper as always--sending a wave of relief through me. As much as I wanted to help Oz out, it was always so difficult to communicate with him. It felt like trying to get a rock to speak.

“Master Bruce,” Alfred greeted. He turned to Oz, “...Master Cobblepot.”

“Alfred.” he replied, his words sharp.

“What’s up, Al?” I asked.

“Sir, there’s something I think you should see. It’s Mayor Dent. He’s threatening to seize the estate.”


	4. Alliance

From Bruce’s POV

Well, this was fantastic. Almost immediately after leaving Arkham, I had already been presented with a full plate of new problems--Harvey being the most prominent one. Apparently, it wasn’t enough for him to use me as a scapegoat and send the entire city after me, but now he’s decided to try to seize the estate.

I had to admit, I was worried. Obviously, Batman was going to have to help put out this fire, but if I wasn’t careful, it was possible that Harvey--and even Oz--could figure out who the man behind the mask really was. Vicki had already questioned why Batman was so protective of Bruce Wayne, and showing up to save the “rich boy’s” manor would only strengthen those suspicions.

I would have to deal with Harvey as Bruce--for now.

Before I did any of that though, there was still one other issue for me to handle. I looked over at Oz. He was intently watching the news with me, Harvey still preaching about justice on the screen. He actually seemed rather amused, seeing the mayor fulminating about me, and for the first time, he smiled. 

“Aren’t you and Harvey supposed to be mates?” He asked, clearly trying to irritate me.

I shook my head. “That’s not Harvey.”

“Well, whoever he is, you’d better think of a solution fast. He said you have what, twenty-four hours to piss off?”

“I’m gonna try talking to him.” I concluded. That sounded more logical in my head.

Oz laughed, almost to the point where it was a cackle. “Good luck with that. Meanwhile, I’m gonna go ask Vicki to let me back into the Children of Arkham.”

I frowned. “...point taken.”

After a moment of thinking, Oz’s face practically lit up. “I have an idea.”

I raised a brow. “Do I even want to know?”

When we were still kids, Oz’s “ideas” used to always get me into even more trouble.

“D’you know why Harvey won’t leave you alone? Why he’s so eager to take you down? It’s because he ain’t afraid of you, Bruce. He knows you wouldn’t harm a fly.” A grin spread across his lips. “The Penguin, though...”

I was hesitant. “Are you sure about this, Oz? I already have enough heat on my back just because of what my father did with Falcone and Hill. If people saw me working with the Penguin, they’d rip me to shreds. I’m kind of trying to avoid that.”

“We don’t have to be working together. I’ll just cause a distraction somewhere--rob a bank, or something. Spread Harvey’s forces thin. Make him weaker. Besides, he’s been scared shitless of me ever since I almost killed him at that debate. If only that bat-freak vigilante hadn’t stopped me.”

Don’t slap him, Bruce. Do not...slap him.

I tilted my head in concern. “I don’t know how I feel about the ‘robbing a bank’ part.”

Oz sighed, crossing his arms. “Don’t worry...I won’t actually steal any money or hurt anyone. But I still have to make it convincing enough that Harvey sends his men after me. You can use that opportunity to talk with him.”

“That...actually doesn’t sound like a bad idea.”

Pride flashed on his face. “See? I can be smart when I wanna be.”

“Just so we’re clear--” I clarified, “no money gets stolen and no one gets hurt. All right?”

Oz rolled his eyes and began walking away. “Yes, mum.”

Before he could leave though, I asked one last thing, causing him to pause.

“Wait a sec, Oz.”

“Hm?” He replied in a tired tone.

“Why are you helping me? I mean, none of this really concerns you. You could just walk away, if you wanted.”

Oz almost looked offended by that. “Pft, I’m not helping you. This is what I always do when I’m bored...” he looked at the floor, avoiding eye contact and lowering his voice. “...also becauseIneedmoneytopayoffmybartab.”

“I’m gonna pretend like I didn’t hear that last bit.”

He gave me an approving nod. “Good man. Just don’t think this makes us friends or nothin’. I’d still shoot you in your pretty-boy face if the money was good.”

I had to hold myself back from smirking. “Pretty, is it?”

Oz’s expression instantly flattened with annoyance. “Don’t push it, mate. Now, if you’ll excuse me, Pengy’s eager to get to work.”

As Oz hastily made his way out of the empty manor, Alfred walked up to me from behind with some freshly-made tea, both of us watching my guest disappear in the distance. I wondered where he was going. Did he have an apartment in Gotham? Or even a house? I barely knew anything about the man’s personal life--not that it was surprising. I was lucky if I could get Oz to tell me what he had for breakfast.

A sense of accomplishment grew inside me. Even if I still had to deal with Harvey’s bullshit, I was glad that today’s conversation with Oz went a lot better than the last one. No one was drunk--I think--and this was the first time we were working together in two decades. I had to confess, it felt good getting back into business with my old friend. I missed it.

“Are you sure we can trust him, sir?” Alfred asked, skeptical.

If I was being completely honest,

“Nope.”


	5. The Penguin

From Bruce’s POV

I carefully ascended the stairs, finding Harvey at the top of the building. He was fiddling with his coin again and muttering a series of paranoid ramblings to himself, seemingly unaware of my presence.

I didn’t know what it was, but something about Harvey appeared to be more agitated than normal. I could practically hear his heart thumping from where I stood, and his eyes were restlessly darting over the city landscape laid out in front of him. I mean, it wasn’t exactly uncommon for Harvey to be on edge, but tonight felt different. Tense. I didn’t like it. I just hoped Oz’s plan worked.

“I don’t know if that was the right thing to do,” Harvey whispered to himself in his original voice, “why did I do that?”

Suddenly, he switched to a sadistic growl.

“Don’t screw this up, Harvey.”

I watched from a distance, second-guessing myself and unsure of whether or not this was a good idea. The last thing I wanted to do was antagonize the man further, but these days, it felt like no matter what I did, Harvey always only ended up hating me more. A part of me sincerely believed that if I played my cards right tonight, I would be able to talk to the friendly, warm, “put-a-Dent-in-crime” Harvey again, but the rest of me knew better.

I took a deep breath and slid my hands into my pockets. Here goes nothing.

“Harvey,” I immediately grabbed his attention. “We need to talk.”

The mayor glared at me, still playing with his coin. “If you’ve come to save your home, you’re wasting your time. My mind is made up.”

God, I could barely hear the old Harvey anymore. It was like his personalities were merging with each other. It used to be so easy to differentiate my friend from Two-Face, but now, they were almost the same person.

“I have always supported you,” I said. “You were my friend.”

His glare only intensified.

“Look,” I continued, “I know you’re still pissed off at me about Selina, but I swear to you...nothing. happened. You have to stop this. Now.”

Harvey grit his teeth. “Gotham deserves a mayor that can focus on cleaning up this city. That’s why I’m taking your money, your home...everything. It’s time that you started paying your debt to Gotham.”

“It’s not my debt to pay. What my parents did is not my fault.”

“Nobody cares.” He bit his tongue right after saying that, almost as if he regretted it. “I’m sorry, Bruce,” his voice softened, “but I can’t back down now. I’ve got a lot of pressure on me, I’ve got enemies everywhere. The Children of Arkham are plotting something against the GCPD, and The Penguin’s having the time of his life terrorizing a bank.”

Well, at least he did his part. Now let’s hope he keeps his word.

Harvey took out a walkie-talkie. “And strong leaders crush their enemies--without hesitation.”

I eyed him suspiciously. Where was he going with this?

“You’re better than this, Harvey.” I tried to distract him. “And I’m not giving up on you--not yet. You can still change things for the better.”

He gave me an unsettling grin. “You’re right. And it starts with taking down the Children of Arkham.”

“What do you mean?” I had a seriously bad feeling about this.

A static-like voice came from the walkie-talkie. “Ready to go.”

Harvey looked me dead in the eye, unblinking. “Do it.”

I waited for a second, wondering what he was going to do when, suddenly, from behind me, a deafening boom erupted throughout Gotham.

I steadily turned around in horror. I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing. 

I could hear people shrieking from within a flaming building in the distance as the structure slowly began to collapse, the fire dancing wildly around it and breaking the night’s darkness with a bright, orange glow.

“What the hell did you do!?” I exclaimed.

He ignored me and spoke into the walkie-talkie. “Are Lady Arkham’s drugs destroyed?”

“Aw, man!” They responded in panic. “That blast was much bigger than you said! We must’ve taken out a whole city block with it! We lost a bunch of our own guys...and the apartment next door--Jesus Christ!”

“We stopped the Children of Arkham. That’s all that matters.” Harvey brought his attention to me. “That’s what a leader does.”

I said nothing. I didn’t know what to say. Harvey had officially lost his mind.

“I couldn’t just destroy the drugs--I had to make a statement! I needed the Children of Arkham and any other potential enemies waiting in the shadows to know what I’m capable of. That I will protect my city. That I am the Guardian of Gotham.”

Harvey looked at the sky. “I can see the headlines already. ‘Hero Mayor Saves Citizens from Children of Arkham Terror Plot!’ Meanwhile, somewhere in the back, they’ll stick the article about ‘Bruce Wayne’s Tragic Suicide.”

I was taken aback. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“All the shame you suffered was just too much for you to bear. Your family’s history. Getting forced out of your own company. Losing all your money...”

A group of Harvey’s guards appeared, all of them armed and ready to take me away. 

“No one will question finding you dead in Crime Alley, so soon after you got out of Arkham.”

I couldn’t believe this. Harvey was actually going to murder me. I clenched my fist in anger. I wanted nothing more than to beat some sense into him, but I knew how that would end up. Just before his guards could grab me however, I heard a familiar voice.

“Gentlemen!” 

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a man dressed in a suit, his face covered by a bird-shaped gas mask and his arms wide open. Oz? 

“Penguin!?” Harvey snarled. “What are you doing here?”

Even though I couldn’t see Oz’s face, I knew he was smiling. “Well, you see, Dent, I couldn’t help but notice that you were trying to murder Mr. Pretty Rich Boy here...and, as much as I approve of his well-deserved death, I’m afraid it’s gonna have to be by my hand. So, if you’d just...kindly step aside...”

All of the guards aimed their weapons at him. “Ah. It’s gonna be like that, eh?”

“Give it up, Penguin!” There was fear in Harvey’s voice. “It’s all of us against you!”

Oz sighed a little too dramatically. “Oh, I know. And I almost feel sorry for you, mate...life can be so unfair, can’t it?” He shrugged. “Oh well. Sounds like a ‘you’ problem to me.”

Within the blink of an eye, Oz had shot down all three guards, a bullet in each of their heads and their blood painting the roof. Meanwhile, Harvey watched in terror, glancing frantically back and forth between the corpses and Oz as he approached me.

“I’d get outta here if I were you, Dent,” Oz warned, “unless you wanna share a grave with Billionaire Boy here.”

He knows I have a name, right?

“Or who knows?” Oz continued. “Maybe you're tougher than you look. Maybe you could break me in half like a toothpick, no problem. Are you tough, Dent? I mean, everyone saw the way you cowered at that debate--the way Batman had to rescue you like a damsel in distress...the way you screamed like a little girl. ‘Guardian of Gotham,’ my arse.”

Harvey was trembling, but I couldn’t tell whether it was out of fear or rage.

Oz let out a laugh. “What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?” He winked. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

That struck a major nerve in the mayor, and before I knew it, Harvey was charging at Oz with his fist in the air like a madman, out of control and yelling. Though, it didn’t take much effort for Oz to step out of the way and slam the butt of his gun into the back of Harvey’s neck, knocking him out instantly.

Once the mayor was down, Oz removed his mask and held it in the curve of his arm, inhaling the fresh air around him and putting his gun away. I had to admit, I was relieved, but at the same time, I didn’t like that Oz just murdered three guards. But that was a discussion for later. Right now, I just wanted to get back home.

“Welp, he’s outta the way,” Oz smirked at me. “Guess I gotta shoot you now.”

I chuckled. “Honestly, I wouldn’t mind at this point.”

He chuckled back. “You know, this is the second time I’ve had to save your arse from getting jumped.”

“Yeah, thanks for the help, by the way. I promise, I’ll repay you somehow.”

“I wouldn’t mind taking your company.”

“...”

Oz laughed. “Ha! I’m just playin’ with you, mate. Nah, you can keep your company. And besides, even if I did try to steal it again, I honestly think Regina would try to kill me. She’s still livid about how I tricked your entire board.”

“She can be a bit...overprotective of me.”

“Well, someone has to be. I mean, how many times this month have you almost gotten murdered?”

“Fair point.”

He put his mask back on. “Anyways, I’ll meet you back at the manor. Try not to get killed on the way.”

And with that, Oz disappeared from sight yet again, leaving me alone atop the roof with an unconscious Harvey, his guards, and my thoughts. I couldn’t help but take one last look at the burning building behind me, the thick smoke plaguing the sky and my heart sinking at the sight. The screaming I heard earlier...I was never going to get that out of my head. And all those innocent lives...just...gone. 

Out of all those things however, what really caught my attention was Harvey’s large, limp hand...

...which had been pressing down on the walkie-talkie’s button the whole time.


	6. Affections

From Bruce’s POV

I drove home that night, my head swirling with anxiety and uncertainty, worried about the possibility that all of Gotham knew about my relationship with Oz now. Whoever was on the other side of that walkie-talkie had just heard my entire conversation with him, and even though I knew Oz wasn’t just a criminal, he wasn’t exactly known for his kindness.

Though, Oz did seem much more open with me when masquerading as the Penguin. He wasn’t nearly as reserved as before, and it almost felt like he was actually enjoying himself for once. It reminded me of when we were kids.

I didn’t know what to think of him. I had barely been able to get him to say a word back at the manor, but the minute we got on that rooftop, we had been chatting like old friends again, acting as if our rivalry never existed.

I guess it made some sense. After all, I was the same way whenever dressed as Batman. I felt more open...more free, like it didn’t matter what anyone thought of me and that I could conquer the world if I wanted to. As Bruce, on the other hand, I always felt like something was holding me back, that I couldn’t truly be myself around anyone except Alfred. And even then, there were still some things that I had to keep hidden from him...one of them being my growing infatuation with Oz. 

Not too long ago, the idea of being attracted to him would’ve absolutely disgusted me, but I had to admit, there was a certain charm surrounding him, and the man definitely had charisma. There was also the way he looked at Batman and how he’d always get giddy whenever he was around. It made me feel...special. Appreciated. Like someone actually saw the good I was doing for this city and didn’t just care about doing things by the book. I mean, aside from Oz, Gordon was the closest thing to an admirer that Batman had, and even he had his doubts about the vigilante.

But then again, that was all Batman. I had no idea how Oz felt about Bruce Wayne--or as he called me--”Billionaire Boy.” And maybe that was just it. Maybe he saw me as nothing more than a walking wad of cash, and maybe that was his only motive behind his helping me. As much as I knew that was probably the truth, some part of me hoped there was more to it than that.

I pulled up to the manor, my phone vibrating the minute the car came to a halt. Taking the device out of my pocket, I decided to quickly check the texts before heading inside.

Oz: im waiting for u in the parlor

Bruce: All right. I’ll meet you there in a minute. I just got back home.

Oz: cool. can i look around the house later

Bruce: Why?

Oz: cuz alfred said u have a movie theatre and i wanna check it out

Bruce: Um, sure, I guess.

Oz: cool

Oz: and just between u and me

Oz: have u ever watched porn in it

I had to take a second to process the question.

Bruce: What? No!

Oz: hey theres no shame in it. id do it too if i had a screen that big in my house

Bruce: Well, I haven’t.

Oz: yea...i guess it would be kinda scary at that point wouldnt it? 

Bruce: We are not talking about this.

Oz: wait

I didn’t reply. Shoving the phone back into my pocket, I quickly left the car and walked inside the manor, Alfred greeting me as soon as I entered.

“Welcome back, Master Bruce. Oswald is waiting for you in the parlor.”

Oh, I know.

“Thanks, Al. Any updates on Harvey so far?”

Alfred adjusted his glasses. “None of an alarming level. As far as the media is concerned, the Penguin might’ve killed you.”

“So, they don’t know he helped me?”

“If they do, nothing has been said about it yet.”

Well, at least there was that. 

“That’s a relief. I’ll go see Oz now.”

Before I could leave though, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

“Al?” I said, noticing the concerned look on his face. “Is everything all right?”

He sighed. “Are you...okay, Bruce? I know that you and Harvey used to be close. Seeing him act like this, like the beast he’s become...I suppose I’m just worried about the impact it could have on you.”

I gave him a comforting smile. “I’m okay, Alfred. Don’t worry.”

“That’s good to hear,” he didn’t sound any less concerned. “Just remember: I am always here if you need me.”

“I know. And I appreciate it.”

“Well, that’s enough of that.” He cleared his throat and straightened his posture folding his hands behind his back. “You should attend to your guest.”

“I’m on my way.”

Entering the dimly-lit parlor, I found Oz slouching in an ornate, elegant, cushioned chair, his legs widely crossed in front of him. His mask was resting on a nearby coffee table next to his pistol, and his suit jacket had been thrown over the back of the chair. 

As I got closer to him however, the soft sound of snoring suddenly reached my ears, and that was when I realized Oz had fallen into a deep sleep. 

I stood there silently, peering at him and amused at the sight. His lips were slightly parted, and his head was snuggled in the chair’s side, causing his hair to slide out of place.

I guessed he was exhausted. It was only a few minutes ago that he had been texting me, wide awake, and already, he had managed to pass out in my parlor.--not that it was surprising. I often found myself snoozing in here sometimes as well, lulled to sleep by the cozy atmosphere and warmth of the fireplace. On some occasions, it was comfier than my actual bedroom.

I checked my watch. It was almost midnight. Well, that explained why Oz was so tired...and now that I thought about it, I was pretty worn out too, especially after that fiasco with Harvey. Perhaps our conversation could wait for tomorrow.

Gently taking Oz into my arms, I picked up the smaller man bridal-style, carrying him out of the parlor and upstairs to one of the seven bedrooms. Alfred gave me a puzzled look along the way, but did nothing further once he noticed the sleeping penguin I was holding. Between my fatigued state and the extra weight in my arms though, it was tricky to navigate my way through the manor--and there were some times when I was worried I’d trip--but eventually, I reached our destination.

Once I found a bedroom, I lightly kicked the door open, trying not to hit Oz’s head on the frame as I wandered inside, and placed him on the bed like a parent putting their child to sleep after they decided to take a nap on the floor.

Well, that was done. Now it was my turn to get some rest. Walking away from Oz, I began heading towards my own bedroom, but was stopped when I felt a sudden tug on my arm. Whipping my head around in confusion, I saw Oz’s hand weakly grabbing my sleeve.

“Oz?” I asked. No response.

Unsure of what to do, I carefully pulled my way out of his grasp and resumed my current task, somewhat...touched by the action. Why did my face feel hot?

“Goodnight, Oz.” I said to no one, shutting the lights off. The second I set foot outside and into the foyer though, I noticed a suspicious amount of bright headlights beaming through the windows of the manor.

“Alfred?” I called out. “What is that?” The butler was also examining the strange scene through some of the curtains, the lights reflecting off his glasses.

“Sir,” he sounded uneasy, “it’s Harvey.”


	7. Two-Face

From Bruce’s POV

Before Harvey could break into the manor, I quickly ran down to the Batcave and geared up while Alfred kept watch, throwing my armor on and securing weapons on my belt. Normally, I wouldn’t anticipate too much violence from the mayor, but after watching him blow up that city block, I knew I was about to be caught in one hell of a shitstorm, and I wanted to be prepared.

I could hear the front door being blasted open. I was running out of time.

I pressed the button on my earpiece. “Alfred, get out of the foyer and get to safety! I need you down in the Batcave to prepare the drones and keep an eye on things. I’ll deal with Dent in the meantime.”

“Of course, sir, but...what about Master Cobblepot?”

“I’ll deal with him later. Right now, we just need to get Harvey and his men out of here.”

“I’m on it.”

Jogging to the foyer, I used my grappling hook to speed things up a bit and glided through the air until I was perched directly above where Harvey stood, staying in the shadows like a hawk. He was carrying some sort of metal container that clearly held a heavy object in it, considering the visible strain on his hand, but I didn’t know what it was.

“Bruce!” He shouted arrogantly. “Show yourself! It’s time we settled this!”

Yes. Yes it is.

I complied, and hopped down from my hiding spot to the top of the staircase, a number of audible gasps emitting from Harvey and his men.

“Batman?” He blurted out, taken off-guard. He placed the metal container down with a loud clank. “What the hell are you doing here?”

I crossed my arms. “You’ve destroyed enough lives for one night.” I began approaching him, causing the mayor to back up slowly. “I’m taking you in.”

“Wait, wait, wait...I thought we were on the same side!”

I clenched my fists. “Not anymore.”

“But it was your intel that led me to the Children of Arkham’s stockpile of drugs! You made me mayor when you saved me from that freak, Penguin, remember? Everything I’ve done, everything I am...wouldn’t be possible without you.” He almost sounded hurt. I would’ve sympathized if he didn’t just try to assassinate me mere hours ago.

“I’m not responsible for who you’ve become--or the things you’ve done.”

“I’m not so sure about that. If it wasn’t for you, I couldn’t have crippled the Children of Arkham. Why are you even protecting Bruce? He’s just as corrupt as his father! He’s working with Penguin for chrissakes!”

Shit. So he does know.

“Be that as it may, that doesn’t excuse you from what you’ve done. Blowing up an entire city block? Murdering dozens of innocents? What was going through your head!?”

Harvey exhaled out of frustration. “I explained it to Bruce then, and I’ll explain it to you now. I had to send a message. I had to show Lady Arkham that I wouldn’t back down, and that I am not afraid of her.” The steel behind his voice weakened on the last part. “I had to show Gotham that I would protect it!”

“You may not be afraid of her, but Gotham is afraid of you. Look at yourself, Harvey. You’ve become the exact thing you despise, the exact thing I’m fighting--a terrorist. Put down the guns. It’s time this came to an end.”

He refused. “If you can’t see the good I’m doing for this city, then you’re no better than Lady Arkham, or the Waynes. Now get out of here before I have you booked for obstruction of justice.”

He loosened the latches on the metal container. “You stand in my way--you stand in the way of the law.”

His men began charging at me, bullets bolting all around me as they started to attack. I hurled multiple Batarangs in every direction, disabling a few of them, and dealt with the rest by throwing punches and kicks in close combat when, out of the corner of my eye, I finally caught a glimpse of what Harvey had brought along with him. Standing up from the container, he displayed a beast of a gun in his grip, equipped with explosive ammo. This was going to get messy.

Before Harvey could blast my brains onto the wall, I threw myself behind a pillar for cover, wood splintering everywhere immediately after he pulled the trigger.

“You know what those are?” He taunted with pride. “Explosive slugs! Betcha don’t have any of those in that little belt of yours!”

Having no other options, I took out my grappling hook once again and shot a wire to the opposite wall, practically running on air as Harvey continued to shoot more explosives behind my trail, leaving craters in the manor’s architecture. 

“Just try and hide, Batman. See how that works out for you.”

After darting around the manor for a while and avoiding more of his men, I eventually found myself standing directly in front of Harvey’s position. He was occupied with gathering more ammo from the container and didn’t seem to notice where I was. Now was my chance.

Leaping from the upper floor, I soared downwards towards the mayor in a divebomb fashion, my cape spreading out to my sides like the wings of a bat. Along the way, I extended my arms and prepared to tackle Harvey to the floor, but unfortunately, just before I could reach him, he had managed to sloppily load one more slug into the gun and fired it straight through my leg, causing me to stumble and collapse recklessly on top of him.

I remained immobile on the floor as Harvey shoved me off and his men rushed over to restrain me, holding my entire body down.

“No!” He cocked the gun, marching to me like a predator hunting its prey. “The Bat’s mine.”

I attempted to wrangle out of his men’s grasp, but to no avail. “Use your head, Harvey!” I exclaimed. “Killing me won’t make you a hero!” He ignored me. 

Aiming the gun at my head, a maniacal and toothy grin formed on his face. I could see his finger inching towards the trigger. I shut my eyes and braced myself, holding my breath without even knowing it.

Bang. 

My ears nearly imploded from the gunfire that followed a few seconds later, but when I felt no pain and the pressure on my arms vanished, I realized that I wasn’t the one who had been shot.

My eyes sprang open and I whirled my head around in confusion, only to spot Harvey clutching a new wound on his shoulder, cursing in agony--and not too far away from him, Oz holding a smoking pistol, his face left uncovered for the world to see. 

“Don’t you fucking dare,” he growled at the mayor. 

“Not Batman.”


	8. New Love

From Bruce’s POV

The police took Harvey away, his hands cuffed behind his back and his shoulders sagged with guilt. Contrary to what I had expected, the mayor showed no resistance, and simply let himself be escorted out in defeat, doing everything he could to avoid eye contact with me. 

Meanwhile, Oz had vanished from sight. He disappeared almost immediately after the fight--probably afraid that I’d try to arrest him--and I hadn’t seen him ever since.

“Thank god he was finally stopped,” Gordon said, walking up to me. “Nice work, Batman.”

“My job’s not done yet. I still need to find Lady Arkham before it’s too late.”

“Well, I can take care of all this,” he gestured to Harvey. “Just need to figure out what to do with him.” 

He sighed. “All the innocent lives he’s responsible for, he should be locked up in Blackgate Prison...but that broken mind of his will probably only get worse in there.”

“Dent is too dangerous and too damaged to be kept in some holding cell at Blackgate. You have to get him into Arkham--they might actually be able to help him in there.”

Gordon nodded in agreement. “Yeah...yeah, you’re right. I’ll see what I can do. Meantime, you stay safe out there, all right?” He began making his way to the door.

I took one last look at Harvey, feeling the urge to give him a hug before he left. “You too, Jim.”

The GCPD cleared out of the ruined manor, the sirens blaring through the thick walls as the red and blue lights flashed through the windows, leaving me all by myself in the damaged foyer. 

Shattered glass was lying on the floor, bullet holes decorated the pillars like graffiti, small blood splatters stained the marble, and there were major blasts in the walls from when Harvey went trigger-happy with his explosive slugs. This was going to take some time to repair.

I would deal with that later though. For now, all I wanted was to get out of this armor, get some sleep, and go look for Oz. Hopefully, he didn’t just run off during the chaos, and was still in the bedroom where I left him. 

“Billionaire Boy?”

Jumping slightly due to surprise, I responded to the nickname out of instinct, only to find Oz standing right behind me. 

Wait. What did he just call me?

“So, I was right,” he whispered to himself in disbelief. “It...is you.”

I blinked a few times, dumbfounded. “What?”

“Bruce, I know it’s you.” Oz came closer to me. “I dunno how I didn’t see it before, but it’s so obvious now. All that tech at Wayne Enterprises, Batman’s disappearance while you were locked up in Arkham, and now...he shows up to save your estate from the big, bad mayor. It’s all connected.”

I opened my mouth to reply, but no words came out. I didn’t know what to say, or what excuse to come up with. He had figured me out, just like Selina did, and now I was cornered. Shit. What was I going to do?

My heart hammered in my chest like a beating drum as I anxiously waited for Oz’s next move. He was just...staring at me..and if I didn’t know any better, I would’ve said there was a hint of nostalgia in his gaze, almost like he was looking at an old photo of an old friend. I decided to break the silence.

Loosening the cowl, I hesitantly slid the mask off my head, and revealed the familiar face I had been hiding from him all this time, his jaw hitting the floor as soon as he saw the truth.

“...you got me, Oz,” I admitted, letting the cowl drop to my feet. “I’m...Batman.”

I was expecting a backlash, or possibly even another fight, but instead, all I received was a devastated looking Oz. He appeared lost, hurt, and even a little betrayed, but at the same time, there was a glint of happiness twinkling in his grey eyes.

“All this time...” he trailed off, unsure of what to say exactly. “Twenty years--two decades--of wanting to kill you, as well as every last Wayne because of what happened to my family...and you were my hero all along.”

I placed a light hand on his shoulder. Unlike last time, he didn’t pull away. “You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” he answered a little too quickly. “I’m fine. It’s just...it’s gonna take a while for me to get used to this. One minute, I’m falling asleep in your parlour, and the next, I wake up and...you’re...Batman. ‘Billionaire Boy’ is Batman. I dunno whether to punch or hug you.”

“I think I’ve had enough punches for one night.”

Oz let out a soft and short chuckle. “Right.” He held a hand out. “...let’s call it a truce?”

I shook his hand with a tight grip. “Truce.”

I couldn’t deny it. It felt extremely good to finally be on the same page as my childhood friend again. We had spent so long at each other’s throats and being enemies--unable to even be in the same room without starting a fight--and now, as if by magic, things had fallen into place at last.

We continued to stand there with our hands linked together for a bit longer--maybe too long--neither of us sure of what to do next.

“So,” I said, “you still admire Batman?”

A faint redness spread across Oz’s face. Holy shit. Oz was blushing. Oz was actually blushing. He rubbed the back of his neck out of awkwardness. There was no way I was passing up this opportunity.

“Are you...blushing?” I teased.

“What?” His eyes shot wide open. “No! I was just--you were--ugh...” I couldn’t help but laugh at his stuttering. Oz was kind of cute when he was flustered. I would have to tease him more in the future.

Despite us getting along now though, there was still one other thing I wanted to get off my mind.

“Oz,” my voice sounded a lot more serious than I intended, “there’s something else I have to tell you--something that I think you should know.”

“Well,” he shrugged, “you’ve already shit me up with the whole Batman thing--may as well go full speed ahead, yeah?”

“This one...might not be as easy to process.”

His eyes narrowed suspiciously. “...all right. Shoot.”

“I, um...I--err--” now I was the one who was stuttering. Great job, Bruce.

“I...may or may not...beattractedtoyou.”

“I’m sorry,” Oz leaned in, “what was that?”

I lowered my face in embarrassment, using my hand as a pathetic attempt to cover it as my cheeks began feeling hot again. “I said...I’mattractedtoyou.” 

Dear lord, I wanted more than anything to just shove my cowl back on. Oz clearly wasn’t quite catching the hint yet.

“What?” He asked again. “Could you repeat that?”

“I SAID I’M ATTRACTED TO YOU.”

He let out a laugh, patting the side of my arm in a friendly manner. “Oh, I heard you the first time, mate. I just wanted to play with you a bit.” I didn’t return the laugh.

Oz put his hands on his hips and smirked a little too much. “So, you fancy me, do you?” This smug bastard.

“That’s one way to say it.” I decided to take a leap of faith. “Do you...’fancy’ me back?”

“Why else do you think I call you ‘Pretty Boy?” He winked.

“...that’s a yes, then?”

He crossed his arms. “You may be a badass vigilante, but you’re still shit at flirting. D’you know that?”

“Well, I--” I was interrupted mid-sentence when he suddenly snatched my collar, pulling me towards his face.

“Just shut up.” 

Before I could protest in any way, Oz had already slammed his lips onto mine, the rough texture of his stubble lightly scratching against my skin.

I remained paralyzed in his iron grasp for a few moments, eyes wide open and body tense. I was frozen. I didn’t know what to do. I felt like an idiot.

After a while though, the running thoughts in my head eventually calmed down, and I slowly began to relax into the kiss, wrapping my arms completely around Oz as if he would fall if I let go. He didn’t seem to mind the intimate gesture, and actually pressed closer to me, letting himself melt in my embrace.

This...was perfect. There was just no other way to describe it. This was what I had been wanting for so long...and now, it was happening. I couldn’t believe it. 

A part of me was convinced that this was all some sort of weird dream and that, at any second, I would spring awake in my bedroom, all alone and without Oz, forced to continue admiring him in secret...but I knew better. This wasn’t a dream. This was real. It had to be. 

After what felt like a lifetime, Oz pulled back from the kiss and rested his head on my chest, directly under my chin as he let out a content exhale. My arms were still secured around him and I brought a hand up to stroke his hair, caressing the back of his head as the two of us remained motionless in the middle of the foyer.

“You know Alfred’s gonna lose it once he finds out ‘bout this, right” Oz joked, looking up at me. “He ain’t exactly fond of me.”

“He’s just going to have to deal with it. I mean, there’s no way I’m letting you go now.”

Before burying his head back into my chest, he pecked another quick kiss on my lips, afterwards snuggling into my embrace like he did with the chair back in the parlor, unable to hold back a smile.

“Good.”


	9. The Park

From Bruce’s POV

THE NEXT MORNING

“...Bruce.”

“...”

“...Bruce!”

“...”

Smack!

My eyes snapped open. There was a sudden, sharp pain on my cheek, and Oz was sitting beside the bed. His gaze was directly on me.

“...did you just slap me?” I asked groggily.

He shrugged. “You wouldn’t wake up.”

“You didn’t have to slap me.”

A wink. “Where’s the fun in that?”

I tore myself away from the cushioned, warm embrace of my bed--a task as difficult as ever--sat up, and stretched my arms above my head, yawning a bit. The bedroom was mostly dark, save for some pale rays of moonlight that had seeped through the windows, and I could see both mine and Oz’s shadows on the opposite wall. I glanced at the clock on the night stand, the neon numbers practically blinding me.

5:07 AM!? 

“C’mon,” Oz said, rushing to the door, “let’s go.”

“Go? Go where?” I rubbed my eyes. “And at five in the morning?”

Oz snatched my hand and yanked me out of bed with an amount of strength I didn’t know he had, causing me to stumble across the room like a fool and follow him aimlessly.

“Wait!” I tried to regain my footing. “At least let me change!”

He let out a playful sigh and slid his coat off before throwing it at me, the piece of clothing draping over my face like veil. That was when I noticed he was back in his usual attire and out of the Penguin disguise.

“Here, wear this. Now c’mon!”

For about half an hour, Oz dragged me through the empty streets of Gotham, the cool, night breeze tickling my skin and waking me up slightly. At the moment, the sky was painted a dark shade of blue, and the chirping of birds gradually got busier and busier with every passing minute. I wasn’t as bleary as before, and I actually felt much more refreshed due to the chilly weather, but it was still a bit tricky for me to keep up with Oz’s fast pace. Why was he in such a hurry?

Looking down at our locked hands, I couldn’t help but smile at the distant memories that began to flood my head. It seemed just like yesterday when Oz and I were still in elementary school, running through the sprinklers in his backyard while both our parents watched us from the patio, his dog happily chasing us around with a bounce in its step and barking at us while we got covered in blades of grass. What I wouldn’t give to go back to those times.

My heart sank with regret. It was all because of my father’s greed that those times came to an end. Obviously, Falcone and Hill shared part of the blame, but they were already enemies of the Cobblepots. My father was considered a trusted friend, and he still turned his back on them, throwing them into the gutter.

My eyes traveled to Oz. I could’ve only imagined what he went through as a child, watching his mother get locked away in Arkham while his father took his own life. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, he had to grow up in an entirely different environment, barely scraping by as a criminal in England. I never would’ve guessed that one day, he would return to Gotham.

“Hey.” Oz said, breaking me out of my thoughts. 

I looked at him with curiosity. “...hey.”

He paused for a second. “I just...wanted to say...sorry.” 

“Sorry? For what?”

“We didn’t exactly start off on the right foot--and we’ve both been through a lot of shit ever since Lady Arkham rose to power--but...now I can see that I might’ve misjudged you. You ain’t your father.”

“No, I am,” I corrected. “But Alfred is my real father.”

He chuckled. “You know, I was surprised to see Alfred still hanging around the manor twenty years later. That old man has loyalty I’ve never seen.”

“What’s that mean?”

Oz’s shoulders sagged with sorrow. “...it’s...complicated.”

“Hey, we’re a thing now. Right? If something’s bothering you, I want to help.”

He shook his head in annoyance. “It’s...Vicki.”

“What of her? Is this about her kicking you out?”

“Err, kind of.” He gave my hand a squeeze. “You see, Vicki and I...we used to be a couple. It was never anything completely serious like us, and our relationship had always been chaotic anyways, but when I found out that she intentionally tried to kill me, it was like a kick in the stomach. I dunno how she felt about us, but...I actually cared in a way--unusual, I know.”

“Oh, I had no idea. I’m...sorry to hear that.”

He grinned at me. “I can only imagine the look on her face when she finds out I’m dating her secret weapon. Kinda ironic, when you think ‘bout it.”

I grinned back. “So, you gonna tell me where we’re going?”

“Patience, grasshopper. We’re almost there.”

After a few more minutes of walking, Oz instructed me to close my eyes for the rest of the way, also promising that he wouldn’t let me trip or fall, but I still took the occasional peek just in case. He didn’t slow down either.

The further we traveled though, the more the sounds of the city began to disappear, replaced by the calming rustling of trees and grass. There was also the calming sound of crickets chirping and the wind whistling past my ears. Were we at the park?

“Here we are.” Oz finally announced, letting my hand go at last. “Take a look.”

Opening my eyes, I was greeted by a surprisingly beautiful view. We were at Cobblepot Park just as I suspected, but this was a part I had never seen before, or at least, didn’t remember. 

There were lush trees surrounding us, like some sort of grove, and unlike the rest of the park, this area looked untouched by the crime in the city. There wasn’t any graffiti or torn posters covering the walls, the ground was clean, no thugs were hanging around, and now that I thought about it--there wasn’t anyone here. As far as I could see, it was entirely empty. It almost felt like we weren’t even in Gotham anymore. I loved it.

“This is where I buried the bodies.”

I was caught off-guard. “S-sorry, what?”

“I just thought Batman might appreciate the info.”

I stared blankly at him. “Your sense of humor scares me sometimes, you know that?”

“Good, that means you still have morals. C’mon, there’s something else I wanted to show you.”

He took my hand again, pulling me even deeper into the park. By now, the sky had transformed into a bright, vibrant blend of blue and orange, and the sunbeams danced through the trees’ leaves, radiating the green from them. It looked like something you’d see in a painting.

Stepping out of the grove, Oz led me to what appeared to be a harbor, but I couldn’t see much, considering the tall, brick wall blocking our path. Though, that didn’t stop Oz from scaling it and sitting on top. He patted the spot next to him, gesturing for me to join him.

I easily hoisted myself up the structure, plopping down beside Oz and admiring the view in front of us. The white sun was just barely kissing the horizon, the water beneath it reflecting a path of rippling light as it splashed onto the edge of the harbor and sprayed mist into the air.

Oz scooted closer to me. “You’ll forgive me for waking you up so early, I hope?”

I smiled at him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, placing a kiss on his forehead. “Definitely.”

“This is where I come when I just need time to myself--which is actually a lot, these days. As much as I’d like people to believe it, I’m not terrorizing the streets, guns-blazing 24/7 as the media would have you think. Even Penguins need to relax sometimes.”

“I get that. Batman can also get worn out every once in a while.”

“...speaking of which,” Oz’s tone changed, “about Harvey.”

“What about him?”

“I saw that look you gave him when the police were taking him away. I dunno how you did it, but it couldn’t have been easy--taking down your own friend.”

I sighed. “It wasn’t, but Batman does what has to be done, whether he likes it or not. Harvey’s too dangerous to be kept out in the open.”

“And if you knew there was a cure to the drug, would you change your mind?”

“Wait--what?”

“Yeah, Vicki cooked up a cure in case any of our own men accidentally got infected by it. There’s the possibility it might not help Harvey that much since he’s already so far gone, but if you really want to help him, I could try swiping it for you and we could give it a shot.”

“You...you would do that? You’re not bullshitting me, right?”

“No bullshitting. I’m being serious.”

It took me a moment to take in everything Oz had just told me. Ever since that debate, I had believed Harvey was a lost cause, regardless of the countless times I told him I still had faith in his recovery and gave him meaningless encouragements. But if everything Oz was saying was true, then Harvey had a chance, and so did Montoya. It was going to be a dangerous task trying to obtain it, but I was willing to take that opportunity.

“We have to get that cure, Oz.”

He nodded, eyeing me up and down. “All right. It’ll be a pain in the arse to find it, but, hey,” he gave me a nudge, “I doubt it can hide for long from Penguin and Batman.”

“Thank you, Oz. I mean it.”

Just then, my phone began ringing in my pocket. I checked to see who was calling. 

Alfred.

Oz saw the contact name. “Go ‘head.”

I tapped the answer button, Alfred’s voice almost immediately breaking through.

“Bruce!”

“Morning, Al. Sorry I left unannounced. I didn’t really have time to leave a note.” I threw a playful glare at Oz, receiving a shrug from him.

“What? Oh, yes, of course--that’s fine, but that’s not what I called you about. It’s Gordon. The GCPD is at the manor.”

“What? Why?”

“They say they just want to ‘talk,’ but I’d still proceed with caution. Apparently, it involves the Penguin. They say there’s a rumor that the two of you are working together.”


	10. When Hell Breaks Loose

From Oswald’s POV

“You’re getting soft, Oswald,” Lady Arkham scolded, her head shaking in disapproval. “You’ve fallen in love with him...haven’t you?”

I scoffed at the ridiculous suggestion, shoving a hand in my pocket. The two of us were currently standing in Lady Arkham’s office, her back facing towards me and her staff in hand. After Bruce got that call from Alfred at the park and took his leave, I had received a call of my own not too much later from Vicki herself to the Children of Arkham’s HQ for a “discussion.” Apparently, she wanted to talk about my growing relationship with the billionaire. She was concerned that we were becoming a bit too friendly.

“No. ‘Course I don’t love him.” I countered. “Why would I? It’s all just an act. You know what his family did to mine. I’m not about to pass up the opportunity for revenge just because of some pretty boy whilst my mum and dad are still twisting and turning in their graves.” I crossed my arms. “Besides, ain’t this what you wanted me to do?”

In a split second, the end of Lady Arkham’s staff was mere inches away from my face, zapping with a violent, electric glow.

“I told you to gain his trust. To learn his secrets. To point out a weakness.”

The staff crept closer, almost to the point where it was brushing against the tip of my nose. 

“I did not tell you to become his newest slut!”

I waved the staff out of my face, glowering. “C’mon, it ain’t like that--wait, what do you mean newest?”

Lady Arkham laughed mockingly. “Do you honestly believe that a man like Bruce Wayne is capable of genuinely loving someone? He’s a billionaire, Oswald. He has more money than all of Gotham combined. He can have anyone he wants as long as he flashes enough cash in front of them. What makes you think you’re any different to him?”

As much as I hated to admit it, it stung a little when she said that--mainly because I knew it was true. I mean, Bruce was effortlessly making a fortune I could’ve only ever dreamed of achieving, and he was one of the most powerful people in Gotham, second only to the mayor. He had connections with both Hill and Falcone, and there wasn’t a single person in the city who hadn’t been affected by his influence. He was practically a king, sitting on a stolen throne. 

The Cobblepots, on the other hand...we were nothing but ants beneath his boots, a burden, an obstacle in the Waynes’ path to success--and his father threw us away like we were trash. And now, Bruce was thriving because of it. Why would he care about some lowly thug like me? Especially after everything I’ve done to him?

The answer was clear as day. He didn’t.

“Look,” I said, trying to come up with some bullshit excuse, “Bruce was obviously attracted to me in some way, and so I took advantage of it, all right? That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Lady Arkham chortled. “Do you think I’m an idiot, Cobblepot? I see the way you look at him, how flustered you become whenever someone mentions his name. And don’t even think that I don’t know about how you offered to help him save Dent’s broken mind.”

“How...?”

“Surprised? I have eyes and ears everywhere, Oswald. You’re a fool if you don’t know this by now. Nothing happens in Gotham that I don’t know about.” 

I bet you don’t know Bruce is Batman, you bitch.

She rested her hands on the top of her staff. “Though, despite your carelessness, I suppose there could be a bright side to all this...”

Her deathly glare landed on me. “Yes...” she said in thought. “Perhaps, there is no need to look for a weakness. Or perhaps, I’ve simply been searching in the wrong place.” She began sauntering in my direction, her eyes nailed onto me. A sense of worry suddenly began developing inside me. 

“After all, ever since Dent’s been shoved into that horror palace they call an asylum, Bruce has been all alone with no one else but his brooding self, hasn’t he?”

Lady Arkham came to an abrupt stop as she was hit with a pang of realization. 

“Then you came along. An old, childhood friend, here to save the day, and give Bruce the love he’s always wanted--to support him in these tough times, and give him a shoulder to cry on...” she placed both hands on the sides of my arms. “My dear, Oswald--you are his weakness.”

“I am?” I didn’t like where this was going.

“Yes! You are. And the best way to destroy your enemies is to strike them where it hurts the most. Wouldn’t you agree?” Lady Arkham reached behind her and pulled out a single syringe loaded with the vile, blue liquid. There was a hell lot more in there than what she normally dosed her victims with.

“Unfortunately,” she said without empathy, “I’m afraid this is bad news for you.”

Without even meaning to, I started to back away, holding my arms up in defense. “Now, hold on. What are you...”

She chuckled eerily, her low voice echoing throughout the entire room. “Hold still. This might pinch a little.”

Before I could back away any more, I hit a wall, preventing me from escaping. I was cornered. Lady Arkham continued to stalk towards me.

“Vicki,” I pleaded, “wait--”

Her shadow soon blanketed over my entire figure like a ghost, the syringe’s needle ominously glinting in the dim light of her office.

“No. I’m done waiting.”

~~~~~~~~~~

From Bruce’s POV

“Thanks for your cooperation,” Gordon said as he headed for the front door, Montoya waiting for him outside. “And for the record, I honestly doubted you were really working with that lunatic Penguin.”

“So does this mean you won’t be arresting me?” I double-checked.

The lieutenant lit a cigarette. “Even if we wanted to, we don’t have enough evidence to do it. Some rumor--and an implausible one, at that--isn’t enough to get you behind bars. Besides, as shady as your family’s history is, it just wouldn’t make sense for you to be working with the man who stole your company.”

“If only my board had as much faith in me as you do.”

“Don’t I know the feeling. Don’t get me wrong--the GCPD has more than a few good officers like Renee, but sometimes I can’t help but worry about how all of...” he gestured at nothing, “...this...will affect them. It’s not easy to keep your head high in times like these. Discouragement often becomes a familiar face--something I’m sure you know well.”

I let out a soft laugh. “More than you realize.”

“Well, I’ll leave you to it.” Gordon stepped outside. “Stay safe, all right?”

“Yeah. You too, Jim.”

He shut the doors behind him and entered the police car, leaving me alone in the manor. It was still damaged from Harvey’s attack, and it was probably going to stay that way for a while, but as long as I had a roof over my head, it didn’t bother me an incredible amount. Right now, there was something else nagging me.

I checked my phone. No texts from Oz so far. That was odd. Normally, he always bombarded me with multiple messages until I replied. Maybe I could text him first for a change, and see if he wanted to resume our “date.” I began typing, eager to see his response.

I just hoped that whatever he had in mind didn’t involve too much physical activity this time. As much as I loved spending time with him, I was exhausted from waking up so early, and it wasn’t even afternoon yet.

Bruce: Sorry about leaving so abruptly earlier. You’re free to come over now, if you’d like. Gordon just left--without me, thankfully. Maybe we could hang out at the park some more.

I waited a few moments. No reply. Not even the three, little dots that appeared when he was typing. Oh no, he wasn’t annoyed with me for leaving, was he? What if he was irritated that we got interrupted? No, he was more understanding than that--as strange as it sounded. He was probably just busy. He would text me when he was ready. 

I shook the thought out of my head and put the device away, deciding to kill some time by watching the TV.

I strolled my way out of the foyer and to the cozy parlor, letting myself fall into the same, plush chair that Oz had fallen asleep in the other night, pressing the power button on the remote and relaxing into the cushions. Before I even had a chance to get comfortable though, I was already overwhelmed by countless photos of Harvey and Batman on the screen, reporters rambling on about how the mayor was committed to Arkham Asylum, his upcoming trial, and how the mysterious, masked vigilante was responsible for the “noble” deed.

As much as I appreciated the praise from the public, I knew it wasn’t all because of me. If it hadn’t been for Oz’s gift of perfect timing and intervening, Harvey would’ve definitely shot and killed me that night. It was the third time Oz had saved me so far.

I continued watching the news when suddenly, the distant sound of a gunshot erupted from within the manor, causing me to immediately jump out of my seat and whip around in confusion. I left the parlor.

“Alfred?” I called out. Nothing. I headed upstairs.

“Alfred!” I repeated as I ascended the staircase. Still nothing. I started feeling sick due to the anxiety. Oh god, what was happening? Was that really a gunshot? Or was I just hearing things?

I reached the second floor and looked around for a bit, unsure of where to go. That was when a muffled, heavy thud emitted from inside Alfred’s bedroom, like something--or someone--had just toppled over. I sprinted over to the door and twisted the knob. Locked.

“Alfred!” I shouted, aggressively shaking the doorknob. It didn’t budge, and I still wasn’t receiving any sort of response.

“ALFRED!” Silence.

Backing up a few steps, I decided to try a different method and took a deep breath, bracing myself as I planted my foot into the door. The sturdy material refused to break, but I could hear the wood splintering. Attempting it again, I kicked it once more, but with much more force, causing the door to finally slam open and bounce slightly off the adjacent wall as it slowly unveiled the horrifying scene inside.

I froze.

“...Alfred?”


	11. 24 Hours

From Bruce’s POV

The bedroom looked like the aftermath of a train wreck. One of the windows were shattered, there was a toppled lamp on the floor, the thick smell of gunpowder stained the air, and, leaning against the bed frame, I saw a motionless Alfred.

“Oh god, Alfred!”

I bolted over to Alfred’s side. There was a small amount of blood drenching his suit, his glasses were cracked, and a rifle was being held loosely in his hands.

I shook his shoulders. “Are you okay!?”

He weakly glanced up at me, a smile coming to his face. “Ah, I’m...I’m quite all right, Master Bruce.” Alfred inhaled sharply in pain through gritted teeth. “I was roughed up a bit, but I’ll be fine.” I helped him sit on the edge of the bed. “It’s...it’s Master Cobblepot who you should be worried about.”

He pointed to the opposite side of the room. I followed his gaze. 

Oh shit.

Resting limply against the wall was a nearly unconscious Oz, his head hanging low and a bullet engraved in his shoulder. There was a fresh splatter of blood behind him. That must’ve been the gunshot I heard earlier.

As I ran over to him, Alfred continued to speak, his voice strained.

“He...came out of nowhere--just broke through the window like...like a madman. Started to attack me. I warned him to stay back, but when he refused...I...I had no other choice but to...shoot him.” He coughed. “I’m sorry, Bruce.”

I shook my head. “No. None of this is your fault, Alfred. You have nothing to apologize for.” I crouched next to Oz. “Any clue why he was attacking you?”

“I...I haven’t the faintest idea, sir. However, I did notice that he behaved very similarly to Montoya, Dent, and even yourself after you were drugged--relentless, deranged, irrational. A possible cause.”

Examining Oz’s condition, it looked like Alfred was right. His skin was a ghastly-pale shade, aggressive blue veins stood out from his arms, neck, and lips, and even in his weak state, his body still shivered. What the hell happened to him?

“Oz?”

Like a corpse rising from the dead, he sluggishly brought his eyes up to mine. They were bloodshot, puffy, his pupils were dilated, the sockets were dark, and dried tear trails stuck to his cheeks.

“...Bruce,” his voice was barely above a whisper, “I-I’m so sorry...”

I pulled him into a tight embrace. Almost instantly, he began sobbing, causing him to shake even more. “Shh, it’s all right,” I gently stroked his hair. “I’m right here.”

“She drugged me,” he explained, sniffling. “Lady Arkham...she knew about...us. She wanted to hurt you.”

Oz looked up at me again, tears pouring from his eyes. “I’m so scared, Bruce.”

“It’ll be okay,” I reassured. “It’s going to be okay.”

“You..you don’t...get it,” he suddenly threw his arms around me. “I’m gonna die, Bruce! She dosed me with enough to kill me within the next 24 hours!”

The news hit me like a truck. I was paralyzed. 

Out of distress and shock, I jerked my head towards Alfred as if he’d have some kind of solution, desperately clinging onto Oz like a mother holding her child.

The butler limped over to us, peering at Oz with worry. Regardless of his personal opinions on the man, Alfred knew how much he meant to me. 

“We were able to produce an antidote for you after you were released from Arkham,” he suggested. “Perhaps we could try the same method.”

“I would need a clean sample of his DNA for that to work, and I don’t.”

Wait a minute. A light bulb lit up in my brain.

“When we were at the park, Oz mentioned that Lady Arkham made a cure for it, in case any of her own men were accidentally drugged. He offered to try and steal it for me in order to help Harvey. I could search for it.”

Alfred didn’t seem fond of the idea. “If it were in the hands of any other common criminal, I wouldn’t be so doubtful, but--Lady Arkham? She’s already almost killed you twice! If she catches you again, Bruce...why, there’s no telling what could happen. Are you sure about this?”

I gazed down at Oz. “It’s the only choice I have. If I don’t get that cure on time...” I trailed off, unable to even finish the sentence.

Alfred nodded. “I understand. Very well, sir. I shall bring Master Cobblepot to the Batcave and do everything I can to stabilize him. In the meantime, you should get to work on tracking down that cure. Death doesn’t wait.”

Oz spoke up. “She has a lab...in one of the sky train depots. The cure...it’s there, Bruce, but it’ll be heavily guarded.”

I stood up, carrying Oz in my arms as we all headed down to the cave.

“I’m going to find that cure, Oz. I promise.”


	12. Lady Arkham

From Bruce’s POV

I crept into the sky train depot through an open window, sticking to the shadows and scurrying around as I searched for the cure. It was a rather quiet night, thankfully, and so far, there hadn’t been any sign of the Children of Arkham, or their leader, leaving the depot empty. As much as I appreciated the lack of security though, I couldn’t help but feel as if it was a bit too quiet. After all, Oz did say that the cure was going to be heavily guarded and yet, from what I could see, there wasn’t a single one in sight. To say I was suspicious would’ve been an understatement.

Hopping from one beam to another, I stuck to the top of the depot as I observed it from above, one of my drones following me from the opposite side. I pressed my earpiece.

“Alfred,” I whispered, “how’s it look?”

“There’s a laboratory down there, sir--most likely the one you’re looking for. If I’m not mistaken, this is the same depot where you foiled Lady Arkham’s plans to drug that train station.”

“I thought it looked familiar. I guess they repaired the train. What about the cure?”

“Let me take a better look.”

The drone flew closer towards the ground. 

“There’s a case of vials next to the lab. They’re holding some sort of green liquid inside them, though I’m not entirely certain what. It’s not the drug, that much I’m sure of.”

Oz’s voice came through. “That’s it, Bruce...” He sounded even weaker than before. I almost couldn’t tell it was him. “...that’s the cure...!”

“All right. Let’s do this.”

“Err--please proceed with caution, sir,” Alfred warned quickly. “As I’m sure you’ve probably already noticed, this depot is suspiciously empty tonight. I expected at least a handful of guards, or even a lookout, but thus far, I haven’t seen a single Child of Arkham. Dare I say, it could be a trap.”

“You’re not the only one thinking that, Al. I’ll be careful. How’s Oz doing?”

“He’s resting in the Batcave with me at the moment. I’ve stabilized him as best I could, and tended to his injuries from the fight before, but if we don’t get that cure soon...” Alfred let out an uneasy sigh. “...I don’t mean to put pressure on you, Bruce, but without the cure, I fear that Master Cobblepot may not survive the night.”

I remained composure, but I would’ve been lying if I said the news didn’t make me a nervous wreck. 

“Understood. I’ll do whatever I can,” I took out my grapple gun. “Keep in touch. I’m going in.”

“Good luck, sir.”

Latching onto a lower pole, the hook attached itself with a metallic clank as I hurled myself to the lower level of the depot, landing as quietly as possible and beginning to sneak around. Even if there was no one here, I still wanted to be cautious.

Approaching the chemistry lab, I slipped through the darkness and examined the tools and chemicals lying on the table, looking to see if there was anything else I could put to use while I was here--or destroy, for that matter. It had obviously been used recently, and a group of barrels filled with Lady Arkham’s drugs sat nearby. She was desperately trying to replenish her stock after losing most of it to Harvey’s bomb.

I tried to block out the morbid memories from that tragic night, but the screams of those who were caught in the explosion relentlessly echoed in my head, along with the horrifying display of flames as they devoured the collapsing building.

Stop it, Bruce. I mentally slapped myself. Now is not the time for that.

Resuming the current task at hand, I walked up to the case of green vials and reached to take one, but before I could even touch the bottle, a tremendous bolt of lightning-like energy zapped the entire box, causing the vials to shatter and sending me flying back against a wall.

It took me a second to gather myself and process what had just happened, but once I spotted a lone vial rolling on the floor beside me, I hurriedly snatched it without a second thought and shoved it into my belt, frantically scanning the depot for enemies.

A chilling laugh bounced off the metal walls. 

“I knew you’d come,” they taunted. It was Lady Arkham. “Oh, you poor fool...did you honestly think it’d be so easy?” She laughed again. “If I had known you were so gullible, I would’ve tried this method ages ago.”

“Where are you?” I shouted. “Show yourself!”

“Still have some fight left in you, huh? I must admit, I’m impressed. Most people would’ve given up by now.”

“I’m not most people.”

I jumped out of the way as another bolt of lightning jolted towards me, burning through a cluster of beams instead.

“Why do you persist!?” Lady Arkham hissed, irritated. “This resistance of yours is pointless! It does nothing except delay the inevitable. This city’s hypocrisy will be exposed--and there is nothing you can do to stop it.”

“Sir!” Alfred exclaimed. “Look out!”

She shot one final bolt directly into a barrel not too far away from me, making it explode and sending a carpet of flames to crawl along the floor as it began to consume the depot. I was blasted back by the force of the impact and found myself spinning through the air until I crashed against another wall, a stomp of pain rattling throughout my entire body. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a blurry silhouette of Lady Arkham herself emerging from the raging fire, staff in hand and mask shielding her face.

“I’ve tolerated you for long enough,” she snarled. “Tonight, this laboratory becomes your tomb, Batman.”

With a surge of strength, I sprung back up to my feet and faced her, Batarang in hand.

“You can’t win this war,” I said. “You’ve already made too many mistakes. Your first was using innocents as weapons. That only ever goes one way.”

Lady Arkham chuckled. “Then come on, Batman. Show me what you can do. Beat me, torture me--do whatever you wish.” She pointed her staff at me. “I want you to deliver me to the devil in pieces.”

Without warning, she suddenly swung her staff at my head, missing by only a few centimeters. I could feel the power behind her attack ripple against my flesh and a sharp, heavy whoosh rang in my ears.

Leaping out of the way, I tossed a Batarang at her hand and used the grapple gun to take hold of a barrel behind her, yanking it towards us and causing to slam directly into her back. To my surprise, she managed to not only deflect the Batarang, but also avoided the incoming barrel on time, twirling her staff.

“You’re gonna have to do better than this, Batman.”

Just then, I saw the drone hovering above Lady Arkham. She didn’t notice it.

“Just say the word, Bruce.” Alfred prepared the mini-missiles.

I prepared the grapple gun. Lady Arkham got closer.

I pressed my earpiece. “NOW, ALFRED!”

“What!?” Lady Arkham blurted out, whipping around to face the drone. I took advantage of the distraction and hooked onto her ankle, wrenching her towards the ground as the staff popped out of her grasp. I went after it.

“NO!” She yelled, chasing me.

Before she could get anywhere near me though, I had already fired a bolt at her, flinging her across the depot as she smashed into a pole, the drone getting into position. For one final time, I used the grapple gun to pull myself to the window I had used to gain entry earlier, slipping out and leaving Lady Arkham alone as she tried to limp after me. 

“Firing.” Alfred announced, pushing the button.

A batch of missiles came soaring out of the drone with a trail of smoke behind them, making a beeline straight for the supply of drugs. Before they made impact, I sprinted my way out of the depot and the area surrounding it as quickly as possible as the Batmobile came into view.

Making sure the cure was still secure in my belt, I hopped into the vehicle and charged out of there, zooming back home. 

“I got the cure, Alfred. I’m on my way back.”

“Very well done, sir,” he sounded panicked, “but I’m afraid we have one more problem to deal with. Gordon’s been trying to contact you. I’ll put him on the line. Connecting now.”

It switched to Gordon’s gruff voice. “Batman!”

“Lieutenant. What’s the situation?”

“I hate to keep pestering you about the same problem, but it’s Dent. I don’t know how, but the bastard managed to break out of Arkham!”

“What?” 

“Yeah, he’s fled to Wayne Manor. According to my men, he’s taking hostages there. He’s threatening to kill them all if Bruce Wayne doesn’t show up!”


	13. Two Lives, One Survivor

From Bruce’s POV

THE NEXT DAY

“I want a safer Gotham,” Harvey used to tell me. “A Gotham where working people can raise their families...without fear of being robbed, or stabbed, or worse...”

I marched towards the manor with the cure still in my pocket, a certain pain tugging at my heart as the countless memories began overflowing my mind--memories from a simpler time. 

It seemed like yesterday when Harvey and I were first discussing his campaign, both of us eager to set the city on a brighter path and do whatever it took to help Harvey's dream become reality.

Back then, we felt invincible--like we could change Gotham for the better no matter what others thought or did--including Hill--and we truly believed that together, anything was possible. That determination died with Harvey at the debate.

“I just...” Harvey’s voice continued to loop in my mind, “I know I can make the city better...”

I stood still in front of the manor’s doors, taking a deep breath. I only had one chance to do this right. Oz’s entire life depended on me at the moment, and he didn’t have much time left.

With a million “what if’s” tearing me apart, I pushed the doors open and let myself in, spotting Harvey at the top of the grand staircase. He had a number of hostages tied up beside him--Deborah being one of them--and was currently holding her at gunpoint.

I pressed my earpiece, observing my surroundings. “Snipers. Two of them. Get the drones online.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Alfred replied.

"Wayne!” Harvey growled. “About damn time! I wasn’t sure you’d come. You weaseled your way out of the death you deserve...like a coward. You actually grow a backbone?”

I stepped up. “I came here to help my friend, Harvey.”

He pointed his gun at me. “I don’t want your help! I want you dead!”

I tried to stay calm. “That is the sickness talking. And I know you’re in there somewhere, Harvey.”

His expression softened, and he lowered his gun, bringing a hand up to his face. “Wait...what am I saying?” He gave me an anguished look, his eyes tearing up. “I’ve tried to fight it, Bruce...but I can’t! I only ever wanted to help Gotham...and now look at me. I can’t stop him!”

Alfred’s voice suddenly came through, breaking the silence. “Bruce! I don’t mean to worry you, but it’s Oswald. He’s...” I could hear someone coughing in the background, “...he’s coughing up blood, sir! He doesn’t have much time left. Please, hurry. ”

~~~~~~~~~~

From Oswald’s POV

I desperately drank in the oxygen around me, Alfred rushing around the Batcave in panic as he tried to find something that could help me, stuffing a rag into my hands, and fumbling through medicine-filled cabinets.

Despite what was happening with my body though, the only thing I could focus on right now was the scene playing out on the Batcomputer’s screen. From the drone’s angle, I could see both Harvey and Bruce along with a row of hostages sitting next to the ex-mayor, a pair of snipers watching Bruce’s every move as he carefully inched closer and closer.

Pushing myself up, I sat on the edge of the cot and threw my legs over the side, wiping the blood from my mouth and glancing at the table next to me. Both my pistol and mask were resting on top, and regardless of how shitty I was feeling, a part of me couldn’t help but want to get out there and give Bruce a hand. It was probably a stupid idea, considering how useless I was in this state, but I owed him. He had been nothing but kind to me since day one, even when he didn’t have to be, and it was safe to say that I was truly no longer allied with Lady Arkham.

“This city needs to be purged of people like you!” Harvey roared. It didn’t matter that he was far away from the drone. I could still hear him as if he were yelling in my ear. 

Harvey stomped towards the hostages. “ALL OF YOU! Traitors, terrorists,” he effortlessly hoisted a cop into his deathly grip, “and cops who don’t take their mayor’s orders!”

Harvey aimed his gun at their head, causing Bruce to jolt a step forward. “Harvey, don’t!”

“This is the only way to clean up this cesspool!” He flipped the damned coin, just like I did at the debate, and not even a second later, fired a bullet into the cop’s head. He took another hostage.

All right. This was getting out of hand. Bruce was going to need my help to save those people, whether he liked it or not.

Mustering all the strength I had left in me, I steadily rose from the cot and stumbled over to the table like a drunk, taking my pistol in hand as I leaned on the surface for support.

“Master Cobblepot!” It didn’t take long for Alfred to begin fussing over me. “You are in no condition to be moving around. Please, sit back down.”

I ignored him, and made my way to the Batcave’s lift.

“Sir!” Alfred sped after me. “What are you doing?”

Swerving straight into a wall, I used the side of my arm to push myself towards the elevator, the butler trekking behind me.

“You’re not going up...there, are you?”

I paused at the elevator’s door, looking at Alfred. “Bruce can’t save those hostages alone. He needs--” an abrupt outburst of pain pulsed through me, making me lunge and groan, “...he needs...my help.”

“Look at you,” Alfred placed a firm hand on both my shoulders, “you can barely stand on your own, let alone go against someone such as Mr. Dent. Bruce is stronger than you think. Of course--being like a father to him--I worry about him no matter the situation, but deep down, I know he’ll be all right. You just focus on yourself.”

I tapped the elevator’s button. “I am, and I’m dying, Alfred. I have an hour--maybe two--before they’re digging up a grave for me, and that’s if I’m lucky. I may as well put my final moments to good use.”

“What are you talking about?” He questioned in bewilderment. “Bruce got the cure, did he not?”

I scoffed. “D’you honestly think he’s gonna waste it on some lowlife criminal like me? He got the cure for Harvey. Besides, he only has one dose. He can’t save both of us.” 

Alfred gaped at me for a second before regaining composure and folding is hands behind his back.

“It’s clear to me that there’s no stopping you, Master Cobblepot. You remind me of Bruce, sometimes.” He sighed, adjusting his glasses. “Very well, then. Go do what you must...and good luck. If you don’t return, just know--I couldn’t be more grateful for all the things you’ve done for Bruce. You mean more to him than you think.”

I took note of that and stepped into the elevator, cocking the pistol. “Do me one last favor, will you, Al? Tell Bruce...” I hesitated, “...tell him, thanks. For everything.”

I started to ascend. Alfred smiled at me.

“He’ll be the first to hear it.”

~~~~~~~~~~

From Bruce’s POV

Deborah sprinted out the door as Harvey stared at the dead cop lying beneath him, appalled by his own actions.

“Oh, god...what did I do!?” He yelped, his eyes snapping to his gun. “What did he make me do!?”

At the perfect time, the drones suddenly flew into position and fired a set of stunners at the snipers, disabling them and leaving Harvey open. I dashed up the stairs.

Before I could get to him though, Harvey snatched the last hostage from the floor and used him as a human shield. “STAY BACK!” He shouted.

“Harvey,” I begged, slowing down, “...no more.”

“No more!? I’m just getting started! This is the only way to keep people in line! Otherwise, they walk all over you!” 

“Harvey, no!” I reached a hand out. “This is not who you are!” I crept closer. 

“You once said you wanted a better Gotham--” I gestured at him, “--is this what you had in mind?”

“Oh, I wanted so much for this city, Bruce...but I failed.” He let the hostage go, throwing him to the side. 

“We were good friends once, Bruce. I’m glad you’re here...at the end.” Harvey put the gun up to his own head. “Maybe you can remember me the way I was before...before him.”

He flipped the coin one last time, but before it could land in his palm, I quickly grabbed it mid-air, holding it tightly in an enclosed fist. Harvey froze. “Bruce,” he blathered, “I need...I need the result!” 

I began to back away. Before I knew it, the gun was aiming at me. 

“DROP THE DAMN COIN!!” He shrieked.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a bullet was fired at Harvey’s hand, disarming him and sending him reeling. I whipped around to find the source. 

To my right, I spotted a practically zombified Oz weakly holding his silver pistol. He was slouching over, and he looked like he was about to pass out at any moment.

Harvey’s eyes sprung open. “Penguin!?”

Without saying anything--or perhaps unable to say anything--Oz blasted a second bullet at the man’s leg, immobilizing him. As much as I hated to watch Harvey squirm in agony, I knew it was necessary. I had managed to calm him down there for a second, but there was no telling when that would come to an end.

With Harvey taken care of, I walked away from the fallen ex-mayor and turned to thank Oz, only to find him collapsed on the floor as well, face-down.

“Oz!?” I rushed towards him, gathering him into my arms and gently flipping him over. At first glance, I would’ve mistaken him for a corpse. He looked ten times sicklier than when I last saw him--which was only mere hours ago--and his breath had turned into heavy wheezing.

Slipping the cure out of my pocket, I popped the cap off and held the vial up to Oz’s lips.

“I got the cure, Oz,” I urged him. “Drink it!”

He simply peered at me and, to my surprise, pushed my hand away, refusing.

“What...” I blurted out, taken aback, “what are you...”

“...don’t...waste it on me--” Oz coughed, “...save...save Harvey. He needs it--” another cough, “--he needs it...more than I do...”

I shook my head. “I will force this down your throat, if I have to, Oz. I’m not letting you die.”

Still, he didn’t comply. “...use your head, Bruce. What’s the point in saving me? Even if...even if I survive...what good will that do...for anyone...? Or for you...? Harvey deserves to be cured...not me.”

I persisted. “Out of all times, you choose now to be selfless? You don’t have long, Oz. Just drink it.”

“...but--”

“Drink it, goddammit! You can’t ask me to just sit here and watch you die. I won’t do it.”

Oz fell silent. He took one final glance at Harvey, and then at the vial, and then at me, his breath hitching with the increasing pain in his body.

After a while of thinking, he finally cooperated and gave me a nod, allowing me to cure him as he hungrily drank in the antidote. As relieved as I was that Oz had been cured at last however, a part of me couldn’t help feeling like an asshole for leaving Harvey to his fate. I mean, he was one of my closest friends, and I just passed up the opportunity to return his sanity, even after all the shit I witnessed him go through...purely for my own happiness.

Police sirens came within hearing range. Gordon was starting to become a regular visitor at Wayne Manor. I had to get Oz out of sight before they arrived.

I looked down at Oz. “Come on. Let’s get you in a bed.”

He sat up from the floor and leaned against my shoulder, his arms loosely tangled around me as I began carrying him back to the Batcave. His head was in the crook of my neck, and with a familiar smirk, he placed a quick kiss on my lips.

“So long as you join me.”


	14. "I Love You"

From Bruce’s POV

THAT NIGHT

I sat on the edge of the bed with my head in my hands, unable to stop thinking about what had happened earlier with Harvey in the foyer. Within the span of a few minutes, I had witnessed him transform from a psychotic murderer to a broken, despondent man willing to take his own life in order to get rid of the voice responsible for driving him to madness. I couldn’t deny it: not only was it heartbreaking to watch, it also scared the shit out of me. For a moment, I genuinely thought I was about to lose my only friend.

And as if that wasn’t bad enough, I refused the option to save him from himself just so that I could keep a man who I knew didn’t truly love me back alive. I tried to convince myself that Harvey was beyond repair, and that the cure wouldn’t have helped him anyways, but the truth was too obvious to ignore. I had given up on Harvey, and thrown him to the wolves for my own selfish wants. No matter what lies I told myself, that was always going to be the reality.

I reached into my pocket and took out Harvey’s coin, holding it in my palm. I could still hear the soft ding it would make whenever he flipped it, and the nerve-wracking suspense of revealing the result. Half of me wanted to keep the coin as a memento and a reminder, but the other half wanted it chuck it out the nearest window for all the pain it had caused.

“You miss him, huh?”

I jolted at the sudden voice and whirled around, only to find Oz peeking over my shoulder.

“Jesus, Oz!” I breathed, holding my chest. He chuckled.

“Sorry. I guess I’m sneakier than I thought.” 

When I didn’t reply, he took a seat next to me, the mattress sinking due to the extra weight. 

He appeared to be much healthier than before. His skin was back to its original tone, and the discoloration had vanished. A few, minor symptoms of the drug still lingered, but overall, Oz looked to be doing better. At least there was that.

“Listen,” Oz said as he rested his elbows on his knees, “I just wanted to say thanks. For earlier. You didn’t have to save me--and even though I said not to--you still did...” he stared at the floor. “I dunno anyone else who would’ve done the same.”

I put a comforting hand on Oz’s lap. “You know I’d do anything for you.”

“Yeah, I do,” he nodded. “I just don’t understand why.” I gave him a puzzled look, coaxing for an explanation. 

“I mean, It ain’t like I’m a saint, and I haven’t exactly been kind to you in the past. So why d’you care ‘bout me so bloody much? What is there to care about?”

I scooted closer to him. “You don’t give yourself enough credit, Oz. You’re a better person than you think.”

“Oh, really.”

“Really. You were the one telling me to save Harvey instead of you, remember? How many people in Gotham do you think would’ve sacrificed themselves like that? Especially when knowing everything Harvey had done?”

“I just...” Oz sighed, “I already ruined Harvey’s life once at that debate, and now, he’s rotting away in Arkham Asylum--again--because of me. I s’pose I’m just feelin’ a bit guilty, y’know?”

“There’s no need to. Whatever Harvey suffers in the future is my fault. After all, I was the one who made the decision to save you instead.”

“About that,” Oz shook his head in confusion, “I’ve been meaning to ask: why did you cure me? What caused you to make that choice?”

I looked away from him, debating whether or not to tell him how I really felt as I bit my bottom lip nervously and he waited for an answer.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to go for it and carefully brought a hand up to his face, tenderly caressing the side and gazing directly into his eyes. 

“...because I love you.”

It took a moment for Oz to completely take in what I just said, but once he did, an expression of pure astonishment coated his face and his mouth fell slightly open as he gaped at me, my heart thumping rapidly.

“You...you...wh--” he was flustered, barely able to form coherent words, “you love...me?”

I nodded. “That’s right.”

I smiled and leaned in for a kiss, but was stopped midway when Oz pressed a finger against my lips, pushing me back.

“Wait--no,” he turned away, “...this ain’t right.”

I retreated sheepishly, a little embarrassed by the rejection. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

Oz breathed out in frustration. “Bruce...I haven’t been completely honest with you.”

“About what?”

His head drooped. “Lady Arkham...she never actually kicked me out. The night I came to visit you--she ordered me to do it.” 

I was at a loss for words, so Oz continued. “She wanted me to gain your trust...to find a weakness that we could hit--until she realized that I was the weakness. That’s why she drugged me.”

I paused. “Wait--so...everything that’s happened between us...has all just been...an act?”

Oz closed the space between us. “...not all of it.” He locked his hand with mine. “I won’t lie: I was acting in the beginning. It wasn’t that hard to tell that you liked me, and I took advantage of it, kissin’ you in that foyer.”

The more Oz said, the more I felt like an idiot.

“But...as time went on, not only did I start to see that you were nothing like I imagined, I also started to really care about you, and it...frightened me a bit. To care that deeply about someone, and I didn’t entirely trust you yet--so I kept quiet.” Oz tightened his grip. “You showed me I don’t have to be afraid when you cured me.”

“...you’re not with Lady Arkham anymore, are you?” I asked, earning a laugh.

“Nah. And I ain’t lying this time.” 

Oz took a second to relax before rotating his entire body towards me and stroking my cheek, beaming at me. A faint blush tinted his face.

“...I love you too, Billionaire Boy.”

Before I could say anything else, Oz had already pressed his lips onto mine, snuggling against me as I tied my arms around him and pulled him even closer, deepening the kiss. This time felt much more genuine than the last, and with every passing second, I could sense something real sparking between us as adrenaline rushed through my veins and excitement fluttered in my chest.

I mindlessly slid a hand under the hem of Oz’s shirt and let it wander across his warm skin, roaming up his body and to his back. In response, Oz quickly shucked his coat off and tossed it aside somewhere, afterwards tugging his shirt off all together and wrapping his arms around my neck as I began pushing him down towards the mattress.

I moved away from his lips and started to place a series of short, brief kisses along his neck and chest, reaching down to unbuckle his belt.

I stopped for a moment. “...is this okay?” I checked, looking up at him.

He smiled and combed a hand through my hair, giving me a nod. 

“It couldn’t be better.”


	15. Death Doesn't Wait

From Bruce’s POV

THE NEXT MORNING

I woke up to the morning sun beaming at my eyes and the sound of birds singing, trees rustling outside. The window’s curtains were lightly dancing in the soft, crisp breeze, and allowed a single ray of light to illuminate the bedroom with a dim glow. It was a calm, quiet day so far, and I wanted more than anything to just stay in bed and savor the moment.

I stretched my limbs and rubbed my eyes, only to find a sleeping Oz cuddling beside me, one of his arms slung over my bare chest. He seemed to still be fast asleep, and his shoulders rose and sank with his steady breathing. 

I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Oz. He looked much more peaceful when he was asleep, and every once in a while, an almost inaudible snore would escape him. I couldn’t lie. It was...kind of cute. 

Before getting out of bed, I pushed a stray lock of hair out of Oz’s face and lightly kissed his cheek. As I got up though, I found myself immediately being pulled back down into yet another kiss, locked in place. Well, actually, it wasn’t really a kiss. It was just Oz lazily smothering his lips on my face and mumbling sweet nonsense.

“...where’re you...goin’...” He muttered, eyes still closed.

I chuckled, trying to wriggle away from Oz’s sloppy kisses. "It’s time to wake up, Oz.”

He groaned. “...but it’s only six goddamn thirty...”

“Well then, consider this payback for waking me up at five in the morning.”

He rolled over.

“...do we have to...?”

I sat up. “Well, I have to. I have to go to work.”

“...can’t you stay home today...? Not like they’ll miss you or nothin’...”

“...you’re mean when you’re tired. You know that?”

Oz gave me a mischievous grin. “And who’s responsible for making me so tired?”

My cheeks suddenly felt hot and I turned away, earning a laugh from the other man. Well, Oz clearly wasn’t getting up anytime soon. I decided to leave him be and grab some breakfast, gathering my clothes which had been scattered all over the floor and throwing on whatever I could find.

Exiting the bedroom, I made my way downstairs and to the kitchen, my sharp footsteps being softened by the long rug underneath me.

Upon arrival, I noticed that Alfred hadn’t woken up yet--or perhaps he was just in another part of the manor, dusting and cleaning it to his heart’s content like he always did. How that man was still so active was beyond me. I wasn’t even half his age yet and it was already a challenge for me to get through one day without wanting to pass out.

I sighed. Even though the board at Wayne Enterprises had realized they were tricked by Oz and returned my position as CEO, I still received dirty looks here and there from multiple people at work. I was no stranger to ignoring hate by now, but I was only human. No matter how much I ignored it, it still stung a bit--and quite frankly--it was mentally exhausting.

Pushing my thoughts away, I reached into the fridge, took out a carton of eggs, and set them on the counter, afterwards walking over to the storage closet to find a pan. Still a bit groggy, I yawned and opened the door in a sloth-like manner--

\--wait. w-what...?

A frightened gasp shot out of me and I lurched backwards at the morbid sight, sliding across the tiled floor until I was as far away from the closet as possible. It was like I had lost total control of my own movements, and crawled away in horror with my mouth hanging open. I could’ve sworn that my heart had stopped beating, and at the moment, all I could hear was my own shaky breath...along with the ominous creaking of a strained, swinging rope.

I wanted to cry, or scream, or shout, but instead, all that came out of me was a helpless whimper.

“...”

I stood up, body trembling.

“...A-Alfred...?”


	16. Descent Into Madness

From Bruce’s POV

20 YEARS AGO

“They may be gone, Bruce,” Alfred mourned as he examined the family portrait in Thomas’ office, “but their legacy remains.” He turned to me with a glint of hope in his eyes.

I didn’t say anything in return. A frown formed on the butler’s face as he approached me.

He let out a sigh. “I...can’t imagine...how difficult this must be for someone of your age--and words cannot describe how terribly sorry I am for your loss. Your parents were good people, Bruce. To be murdered in some alleyway...absolutely despicable.”

Regardless of all my efforts to contain it, a single tear escaped my eye and I began sniffling, looking away from Alfred. I felt a hand on my shoulder.

“There, there,” he comforted, rubbing my shoulder. “Look at me.”

My head remained drooped. Alfred knelt down until he was eye-level with me.

“Look at me, Bruce.” He repeated. This time, I complied.

“I know it feels like the entire world is against you right now,” he began, “and as much as I wish I could say it, there’s no guarantee that things will get easier from now on. However,” Alfred held a finger up, “if there’s anything I’ve learned about you during my time with your parents, it’s that you’re a strong boy, Bruce--just like your father was. You’re not easily knocked down--and on top of that--you carry your mother’s compassion. There’s no deadlier combination when it comes to fighting hate.”

I wiped my eyes dry with the side of my sleeve. “What do you mean?”

Alfred stood back up. “Keep your chin up and your head high, and perhaps you’ll find out someday. In the meantime, I will do everything within my power to help you. Just say the word.”

~~~~~~~~~~

PRESENT DAY

I gazed down at the open casket, staring in desolation at Alfred’s corpse, frozen in place even though the funeral had ended a while ago. I wanted more than anything to just walk away and forget everything I had just witnessed, and pretend nothing had happened, but at the same time, I couldn’t tear my eyes away. It was like when I found Alfred hanging in the closet. All I could do was watch in helpless horror, wondering what the hell was going on. Though, I had a pretty good idea.

The makeup on his face hid the grotesque truth now, but when I first discovered Alfred’s body, his skin had been covered in a frightful amount of blue veins, and foam coated the corners of his mouth. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what had been done to him. 

My only question was: when?

The only possible time I could think of was while I was asleep. Other than that, I didn’t remember hearing any sort of noises or seeing any signs of a struggle. Oz didn’t notice anything either. 

I clenched my fist. Lady Arkham must’ve snuck in sometime during the night and finished him off. She also must’ve made sure to not spill any blood in order to avoid leaving tracks on the floor. My best guess was that she strangled Alfred to death, and then hung him up for me to see.

I reached into my coat and took out the pocket-watch Alfred had given me so long ago. Recently, there seemed to be a pattern of people I cared about becoming nothing but inanimate mementos, and I doubted it was going to stop anytime soon. As much as the idea sickened me, I wasn’t even sure if Oz would stay around much longer. I already almost lost him once--there was no reason it couldn’t happen again. 

“Bruce?” Oz stepped next to me, both of us looking at Alfred. “I’m...so sorry. I mean...just...shit. I don’t even know what to say.”

I tightened my grip on the watch. “Lady Arkham did this, Oz. I know it. And I’m gonna make her suffer for it.”

“Why though? What would murdering Alfred gain her?”

“She’s trying to take me down by hurting the people around me. That’s why she went after you, remember? She must think that Alfred’s death will send me into hiding. She’s wrong.”

Oz gave me a questioning look. “What are you gonna do to her? If we find her.”

A familiar rage took over me--the same rage I felt when my parents were murdered, controlling me like a puppet on strings.

“...I’m going to kill her.”

Oz was obviously a tad bit shocked by that. “I don’t disapprove, but I thought Batman had a rule about not killing?”

I put the watch back into my coat and began walking away, heading home. 

“Batman does. I never said anything about Bruce.”


	17. Vendetta

From Oswald’s POV

I sat in the car as we drove home, my eyes scanning the blur of buildings outside. Bruce hadn’t said a single word to me ever since we left, and hadn’t even so much as looked at me...but I was looking at him. And I was scared.

Something in Bruce had obviously snapped back at the funeral, and the vibe surrounding him was the same as when he nearly beat the life out of me at the press conference. Obviously, I wasn’t exactly new to the concept of killing someone, but the idea of Bruce doing it...I just couldn’t wrap my head around it.

I mean, the whole bloody purpose of Batman was to prevent more people from dying, and here Bruce was, set on pursuing a vendetta against Lady Arkham herself. He wasn’t actually going to kill her...was he?

“Bruce,” I finally said, worried. “I know this is a stupid question, but...are you...all right?”

He still didn’t look at me. “...I’m...” his words faded away instantly, and his voice sounded like he was about to cry. “...I don’t know. I just...I don’t know what’s happening anymore. First, I find out that my father was a piece of shit, then the whole city starts hating me, then Harvey loses his goddamn mind, and now Alfred’s dead. Sometimes, I just want to run away and put all of this to an end.”

I stayed silent. Bruce let out a breath, pulling up to the manor. “...sorry. Didn’t mean to snap like that.”

“I get it. You’ve been through a lot.”

The car gradually came to a halt, and before I could even get out the door, Bruce’s hand was already holding mine, keeping me in place.

“...Bruce?” I said, paused mid-action. He stared blankly at the floor.

“...I’m gonna...drive around. Try and get my mind off things. I don’t think I can go back in the manor after...”

“R’you sure?” I asked.

“Yeah. I won’t be out long.”

I was hesitant, but I didn’t press further. “...well, okay.”

“Wait,” Bruce quickly added, “can you promise me something?”

“Anything.”

He thought for a moment before retreating his hand, letting me go. “...never mind.”

“No, what is it?”

Bruce shook his head. “It’s stupid.”

I closed the car door, leaning closer to him. That seemed to get the message across. He finally spoke up.

“Just...promise me,” he bit his lip, “...that I won’t lose you too. I know it’s a dumb thing to ask, considering we live in Gotham--among other things--but...”

I smiled at him. “I ain’t goin’ nowhere, love. Promise. Gotham couldn’t kill me twenty years ago, and I’m ain’t lettin’ it finish the job now. You just worry ‘bout yourself.”

That appeared to cheer him up slightly, a sense of accomplishment growing in me. I began to exit the car.

“Thanks, Oz.” Bruce cleared his throat awkwardly. “Anyways, I should get going. I’ll see you later.”

“Sure thing. Just be careful.”

“I will.”

And with that said, Bruce drove off like there was no tomorrow, disappearing in the city’s horizon while I stood alone in the driveway. The sun was just starting to lower in the sky and an orange tint blanketed over Gotham, causing an enormous shadow to cast on the ground in the shape of the manor. 

Though, despite the calm weather, I couldn’t ignore the hint of anxiety that kept gnawing at the back of my mind. As much as I trusted Bruce, something just seemed...off...about him, and I didn’t like it. 

Letting out an exhale, I pushed the thoughts away for now and headed inside the manor, making a beeline straight to the parlor and wondering what the hell this city was coming to. 

~~~~~~~~~

From Bruce’s POV

I geared up in the Batsuit and prepared all my weapons, parking in a secluded area once I arrived at my destination. I checked the texts my phone.

John: You’re trying to kill Vicki, eh? I knew I liked you for a reason :)

John: You wanna track her down--just ask the Vales.

John: They’re hiding a little, ah...“secret”...in their basement. 

John: Happy hunting! Hahaha! :D


	18. Tally Marks

From Bruce’s POV

I stood in the middle of the cramped, flickering basement, surrounded by eerie chalk drawings on the walls and bloody belts hanging on display. There was a wooden chair that looked like it was made for a child in front of me, and in the corner of the concrete room was an unsettling doll that resembled Lady Arkham.

The evidence made it pretty clear what happened to Vicki as a child, and I had to admit: a part of me sympathized with her. Though, as horrible as it was, I had trouble feeling too sorry for her--especially after what she did to Alfred. Regardless of whatever happened to her in the past, she was a monster now. Plain and simple. And I had to take her down before it was too late.

I carefully examined the chalk drawings. There were multiple doodles of all different colors and sizes layered on top of each other, and time had taken its toll on them, causing the lines to fade and blur. But the one that caught my attention the most was what appeared to be a rough sketch of Arkham Asylum.

I used my Bat-Tech to single out the sketch from the rest in order to get a better look. From what I could see, there was also a crowd of stick figures drawn in front of the asylum. Were they entering the building? Or running away? No. They were definitely running away.

I reached up to press my earpiece, stopping abruptly mid-way when I remembered there was no one on the other side to answer. And Oz didn’t know I was here.

A sense of guilt began to claw at me. The last thing I wanted was to lie to Oz, but I knew he would’ve helped if I told him about my plans, and I couldn’t risk losing someone else to Lady Arkham. He was all I had left.

Despite Alfred’s absence however, another voice came through. It was none other than Gordon.

“Batman! Do you copy?” He sounded panicked. As always.

“I hear you, Gordon. What do you need?”

“It’s Lady Arkham! Her men have taken over the asylum, and she’s released all the goddamn inmates. We can’t hold them back by ourselves. They’re raising hell all over Gotham--the entire city’s in chaos!”

“The patients are free? How many have escaped?”

“We’ve managed to retrieve most of them, but a man called Victor Zsasz is still on the loose. And actually, he’s the reason I called. I need your help to find him, Batman. He’s a clever, sadistic, ruthless serial-killer, and he’s after Penguin’s skin.”

I was taken aback. Victor Zsasz? Why did that name sound familiar? Wasn’t that one of the people I met while I was at Arkham? 

I thought back to those wretched few days, his face suddenly coming back to memory. From what I recalled, he was a bald, crazed man who was always occupied at the chess table, constantly rambling about “salvation” and the emptiness of life. It was hard to forget those monstrous scars. He referred to them as if they were people, giving them names and talking about death like it was a gift. Were those scars...counting his victims? Jesus Christ.

“Penguin?” I clarified, unsure if I heard Gordon right. “Why him?”

“Well, according to Zsasz, the two of them gambled once upon a time--back when he was still sane--and he ended up losing everything he owned to Penguin. It’s what led him to becoming who he is today. Now, he wants to get revenge. We have to find him, Batman, and fast.”

“All right, Gordon. I’ll help. Any idea where he could be?”

Gordon let out a thoughtful hmm. “Knowing Zsasz, he’ll probably try to lure Penguin out of hiding instead of just directly attacking him. He likes to do that with his victims. Apparently, flat-out murdering people is too mainstream nowadays. Only question is: what would he use as bait? Or even...who? I mean, Cobblepot doesn’t exactly have any family left for Zsasz to take hostage--at least none that I know of--and believe it or not, word on the street is that he’s no longer with Lady Arkham. He’s a lone wolf. He’s got nothing to lose.”

Well, maybe not nothing.

I began making my way out of the basement, grappling onto the floor above me and hauling myself up. “I’ll look around the city, see if I can find any clues to Zsasz’s whereabouts. In the meantime, you just focus on getting all the inmates back into their cells. We have enough lunatics running about.”

Gordon scoffed. “You can say that again.” He exhaled in irritation. “All right. I’ll do what I can to round up the inmates--see if I can’t get the asylum back under control. Not that it ever is. Just find Zsasz. We can’t let him kill Penguin.”

I exited the Vales’ house and waited in the front yard as the Batmobile slid into view, the top of the vehicle opening up. I jumped in.

“No, we can’t.”


	19. Tick-Tock

From Bruce’s POV

I bolted back home as quickly as I could, afraid for Oz’s safety now that Zsasz was on the loose. I had no doubts that Oz could handle himself, but just the idea of leaving him alone turned me into a nervous wreck. At least with other criminals, I knew what they wanted. With Zsasz though, death was a mercy in his eyes. It was a gift. And judging by his history with Oz, there was no way he’d allow him to have that sort of escape. He wouldn’t kill him. So, the question was: what would he do?

I jogged into the manor and shoved the doors open, screeching to a halt when I was suddenly greeted by a gun barrel to the face.

“I SAID FUCK OFF--” Oz shouted before pausing mid-sentence when he realized it was me. “Oh, shit--sorry, Bruce,” he lowered his pistol. “I thought you were someone else.”

“Who did you think I was?” I asked, walking inside. Oz holstered his gun and paced alongside me, his wide eyes darting all over the manor as if he were looking for something.

“Dunno if you’ve heard, but Arkham Asylum just lost a shit load of its patients thanks to Vicki, and even though the GCPD brought some of ‘em back, there’s still plenty on the streets--including a nutter called Zsasz. He and I have some bad history together, and he’s already sent two men to retrieve me. It’s only a matter of time before he shows up here himself.”

“How does he even know you’re here? With me?”

Oz shrugged. “No clue. But he’s wasted no time in terrorizing Gotham. I think he’s already killed at least one person.”

I sighed. “Christ. You said he sent men after you. Where are they now?”

He seemed hesitant to tell me. “I...shot ‘em. Had no choice. But they did mention that Zsasz was waiting for me at City Hall. Apparently, he’s got hostages, and he’s gonna kill ‘em if I don’t show up.”

“Shit.”

Oz tilted his head in uncertainty. “What do you think we should do?”

I glanced over at the TV, listening to the reporters babble on about what was happening at Arkham and the whole incident involving Zsasz. My brain lit up with a plan.

“I have an idea.” I announced, Oz quirking an eyebrow.

“What d’you have in mind?”

“We can distract him with Penguin--give him the audience he wants, and maybe buy some time for the hostages. While you’re keeping him busy, I’ll be taking his men down in the background, and when the time is right, we can attack Zsasz from both sides.”

Oz grinned, patting me on the shoulder. “Look at you, being smart. That actually don’t sound like a terrible idea, and it ain’t like I’ve got any better plans.” He put his hands on his hips. 

“All right. Let’s do this. I’m ready when you are.”

Oz left to put on his Penguin disguise, but before he could walk away, I gently grabbed his hand. He turned around, giving me a puzzled look.

“Bruce?”

I tightened my hold. “Just...be careful. Okay?”

He smiled and pulled me closer, pecking a quick kiss on my lips. 

“Of course. Zsasz won’t know what hit him--not with us working together.”

~~~~~~~~~

CITY HALL

Exiting the Batmobile in unison, Oz and I approached the entrance to City Hall which had been barricaded by flashing police cars and officers, Gordon standing in the middle of it all. Rain was showering down on Gotham at the moment, and my footsteps pattered on the wet ground as tiny droplets coated the circular lenses on Oz’s mask.

Gordon brought his attention to us at the sound of the Batmobile’s engine as it drove away from the scene, the lieutenant hurrying up to me.

“Batman!” He exclaimed with slight relief. “You showed up just in time. Zsasz is--” the minute Oz came into view, Gordon’s words cut off and he instantly reached for his gun, preparing to shoot him. I stepped in between them, extending an arm in front of Gordon out of peace.

“Wait, he’s here to help.”

The lieutenant was still cautious. “Penguin!? Here to help? Don’t be ridiculous. I trust you, Batman, but in case you forgot, this dirtbag used to be Lady Arkham’s right-hand man. Not to mention everything else he’s done.”

“Penguin’s the one who Zsasz wants to see,” I reminded him. “Anyone else tries to get near him--they’re dead. And I doubt you want to lose more of your men--or even some innocents.”

“Well, of course not, but--” Gordon sputtered, “this is Penguin we’re talking about. You know, the man who murdered Hill?”

Oz crossed his arms. “Please, I did Gotham a favor. And don’t even pretend like you miss that old f--”

“--what he means,” I jumped in, “is we can argue about this later. Right now, Zsasz is our main concern, and Penguin’s our best chance at getting those hostages out alive. This discussion can wait.”

Gordon narrowed his eyes in skepticism. He relaxed a little. “...you’re right. You’re right. But try anything funny,” he pointed at Oz, “and you’ll be shipped off to Blackgate before you can blink.”

“Heh, I’d like to see you try.”

I nudged Oz in a warning manner and motioned for him to follow me, hastily dragging him away from the lieutenant before the situation could get more heated.

“Whatever happened to ‘being careful.” I asked in a flat tone, annoyed.

Oz straightened his suit, chuckling. “Sorry, love, but he just gets on my nerves. I couldn’t resist teasin’ him a bit. But I promise I won’t shove that stick up his arse any further.”

We reached the doors to City Hall, Zsasz’s chilling voice seeping through the wooden material as we got closer and closer.

“Well, here we are,” Oz prepared his gun. “You ready?”

“Ready.” I confirmed.

He took a deep breath, getting ready to step inside. “Then let’s show Zsasz what it means to fuck with us.”


	20. Bang Bang

From Oswald’s POV

I marched into City Hall--gun in hand--as chills immediately crawled over my skin the moment I was able to hear Zsasz’s voice. I would’ve recognized that unmistakable hiss anywhere, and yet, at the same time, he sounded like a completely different person to me. I mean, Zsasz had always been crazy to a degree anyways--he proved that when I gambled with him--but now, you could practically feel the insanity sharpening his tongue. His entire vibe just screamed “Arkham.”

The further I ventured into City Hall, the more the temperature seemed to sink, and it felt like all the color in the world had drained from the environment. And on top of all that, I couldn’t shake the thought that...someone was observing my every move. After all, there was no guarantee that Zsasz was alone here. For all I knew, I could’ve been wandering into a lion’s den. I only hoped Bruce was safe.

Up ahead, I spotted a peculiar group of chairs formed in a circle, all of the hostages tied to them as Zsasz rotated around and stroked the blade of his knife with a single finger. Aside from the dozens of tally-marks engraving his flesh, his appearance was relatively similar to when I last saw him. Same, bald head. Same, ice-cold stare. It was Victor, all right.

I came to a stop. The hostages turned towards me in desperation, shrieking muffled cries behind the tape covering their lips as their eyes bulged from their sockets and they wriggled in the chairs.

“Victor!” I called out. The serial-killer’s head snapped in my direction, his glare piercing through me like a hawk’s. He was dressed in a torn suit--probably one that he looted from a corpse--and his hands were stained with blood.

“...Penguin,” Zsasz growled. “My, my, it has been some time, hasn’t it? I’ve been saving a special spot for you...” he pointed to his neck, “...right above my throat...just to remind myself of how close you led me to death.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bruce sneaking his way around the upper levels of the hall. 

“If you wanna kill me,” I siad to Zsasz, “then get to it. I’ve got other places to be.”

Zsasz shook his head in disappointment. “Arrogant. Deluded. Blind.” He chuckled. “You still think I’m weak, don’t you? You still think you can take advantage of me, just like you did so many years ago. Well, I’ve got news for you.” A maniacal grin plastered itself onto his face. “I am a revenant. I have died, and been reborn. I’ve seen the true meaning of life, and now it’s my duty to educate ignorant pigs like you.”

I glanced at Bruce who continued to work in the background. 

“Educate me, then.” I played along. “What is the meaning of life?”

“A trick question,” he answered, stalking closer to me, “because there is none. Life is nothing but an invisible cage, and everyone is too afraid to step outside the bars because they fear the unknown. But they don’t need to be afraid anymore. I’ve seen what death does. I know what lies on the other side. Death is salvation, and I’m here to release these people from their flesh prisons,” Zsasz placed his finger on the tip of the knife’s blade. “...starting with you.”

I smirked behind my mask when I saw Bruce perched directly above the serial-killer, preparing to attack.

“Try me.”

Suddenly, Bruce shot a wire from his grapple gun and swung downwards, planting his feet into Zsasz’s body along the way and sending the man flying.

For a moment, Zsasz writhed on the floor in pain, clutching his stomach and coughing until his sounds of agony slowly turned into a quite, breathy laugh.

“...Batman...!?” He croaked. “I should’ve known you’d show up. You’re practically a dog chasing a bone when it comes to saving ‘innocents.” Zsasz got back up to his feet and took out a gun. “Go on, then. Do your worst.”

Before he could shoot any of the hostages, Bruce shielded them with his cape, giving me the chance to fire a bullet into Zsasz’s leg. He let out a grunt of pain and fell against a wall, leaning on it for support. Though, he wasn’t quite ready to give up just yet.

“Lady Arkham,” he panted, “warned me...about you. That I should bring...someone else to help. Roland!”

Before I even had a chance to react, the same blue giant who once worked for me bulldozed his way through the room like an angry bull and directly into me, whamming me into a pillar as one of the lenses on my mask cracked.

I was stunned for a second, and the room seemed to spin around me when, out of nowhere, I felt a large, strong hand squeezing my neck and lifting me into the air with inhuman strength as my gun dropped from my grip and I began scratching at his arm.

Behind Roland, I could see Bruce dealing with Zsasz, the two of them throwing one another across the hall and wrecking the furniture in their way, gunfire and smoke filling the atmosphere.

“Roland,” I choked out through gritted teeth, “you...blue...motherfucker...!”

He slammed me against the pillar again. My lungs were on fire now, and the edges of my vision began to darken. I attempted to reach for my pistol, only to have Roland restrain me even further, holding my arm at an awkward and painful angle. 

Out of any other options, I finally decided to fully live-up to my alias, and with a powerful swing of my neck, impaled one of Roland’s eyes with the beak on my mask. He hurled me aside as a reflex and roared in agony as I hurriedly retrieved my weapon and brought out the special gloves Lucius had invented, preparing to beat the living shit out of Roland.

Thinking back to my boxing days, I jammed the metal knuckles into Roland’s skull, my fists blurring into a storm of punches as I threw one after another, blood gushing down his face and spurting from his mouth.

Mustering all the strength in my body, I sent a bone-shattering punch straight into the underside of Roland’s jaw, causing him to slightly go upwards before toppling over, unconscious.

Now that I was done dealing with him, it was time to help Bruce out. Bruce himself was in an all right condition, but currently, Zsasz had taken a hostage into his grip as a last resort, aiming his gun into the side of their forehead.

“Take another step, and I’ll blow his brains out!!”

Bruce and I quickly exchanged looks, both of us thinking the exact same thing and giving each other an approving nod. In a split second, Bruce had latched onto the hostage’s chair with his grapple-gun and yanked them towards him whilst I fired multiple bullets at Zsasz, unfortunately missing most of them since he jumped behind a pillar for cover.

“Shit.” I muttered, trying to get a better angle. Before I could though, Bruce stopped me with a hand on the shoulder and pointed at the chandelier hanging above.

I understood what he meant and headed to Zsasz’s position, shooting at him even more in hopes of leading him to a more open area of the room. As expected, he immediately bolted away from behind the pillar and wandered to the far end of the hall, right underneath the chandelier.

Signaling Bruce, he pulled out a Batarang and tossed it at the wire holding the light up, its sharp edges easily slicing through it as the chandelier plummeted on top of Zsasz, crushing him under its weight.

Bruce and I stood in front of Zsasz, out of breath after the fight and gazing around the ruined hall. The hostages were slouching in their chairs at this point, and the doors to the building flew open as the GCPD came storming in. I scoffed to myself. Useless as always.

Before I was even able to greet the police however, a thunderous gunshot erupted throughout the hall and my body suddenly felt numb as the metallic taste of blood began filling my mouth. I didn’t know what was happening, but I could see everyone--including Bruce--gaping at me in shock. I stared back at him in confusion and followed his gaze, looking down at my abdomen. That was when I saw an expanding blood-stain spreading on the fabric of my suit, a pang of horror kicking me in the gut when I finally realized what just occurred. 

“Well,” I blurted out, unsure of what else to say, my voice faltering. “... would y’look at that.” 

I found myself crashing to the floor, Bruce sprinting over to my side and taking me in his arms.

“What did you do!?” Bruce shouted at what appeared to be the commissioner as he tried shaking me awake, my vision going black.

“What the HELL did you do!?”


	21. Demons

From Oswald’s POV

“...Oz...”

Bruce’s voice echoed in my head, bouncing off the walls of my skull like a church bell. 

“...please,” he whispered, “...wake up...”

Bruce’s tone was breathless and shaky, like he had just finished crying, and I could barely hear him. He didn’t sound far away though, he just spoke at a volume that was almost completely a whisper.

Meanwhile, in the background, I could hear the soft noises of a TV playing, reporters talking about the recent incident with Zsasz at City Hall, and how the madman had finally been returned to Arkham with Batman’s help. Funny how they didn’t mention me. Though, I wasn’t surprised.

“...Oz,” Bruce repeated, “I don’t know if you can hear me, but you need to get away.” He took a breath. “You need to distance yourself from me.”

What? What the fuck was he on about? I tried to force myself awake so I could ask him, but my eyes remained shut and my body motionless. I felt a hand caress the side of my face. I caught a faint whiff of blood. Was it mine...or Bruce’s?

He let out a deep exhale, still stroking my cheek. “...I’m sorry, Oz. I thought I could help you, but I’ve only put us in more danger.”

I felt my fingers slightly twitching. I was waking up.

With as much effort and concentration as I could give, I threw myself into consciousness, my eyes popping open as a breath escaped me. I blinked rapidly and squinted for a few seconds, trying to adjust to the sudden light. It looked like I was in the Batcave again, lying on the same cot Alfred put me on after I was drugged. 

Bruce was sitting beside me with his body facing the TV, and there were visible tear streaks staining his face as he stared at the floor, not moving a single muscle. Contrary to what I expected though, he didn’t appear to be sad or troubled. Instead, he just looked...empty. Dead. Like someone had sucked all the emotion out of him. 

“...Bruce?” I mumbled. He didn’t even look at me. He just stayed silent, and continued to stare blankly at the TV. I turned to see what was so damn interesting, and started to listen along.

“Last night,” the reporter said, “moments after a bloody encounter with the notorious Victor Zsasz--and what appeared to be other escapees of Arkham Asylum--Commissioner Peter Grogan was confirmed dead, and Lieutenant James Gordon has replaced his position in the GCPD. So far, reports of the commissioner’s murder have been rather vague, but it’s believed that the masked vigilante is to blame.” 

I sat straight up. 

What did he just say?

“That’s right, folks,” the reporter continued, “the man who was once my hero--and possibly even yours--is responsible for Grogan’s death. Turns out that ‘Batman’ isn’t quite as enthusiastic about justice as we thought.”

“...Bruce,” I practically whimpered, “...you...you killed...someone?”

Like a zombie, the man slowly turned towards me, still wearing the same, lifeless expression. His eyes were red and puffy, and the dark circles surrounding them made him look exhausted. 

“...Grogan shot you,” Bruce explained. “He thought you were working with Zsasz, and for just a second, I actually believed he had killed you.” He averted his gaze away from me. “...I...I lost control. The rage just kicked in, and...before I even had time to think twice, he was already dead on the floor. I managed to grab you and run--and I’ll run forever if I have to--but that doesn’t change what I’ve done. I’ve become a monster. I’ve become my father.”

I pulled Bruce into a tight embrace, nestling my head in the crook of his neck. 

“I know a monster when I see one, Bruce, and you ain’t one of ‘em. Your father murdered innocents. You protect them.”

He scoffed. “I just killed a man, Oz. The commissioner of the GCPD, no less. I...I think I’m losing it.”

I buried myself into his warm hold as he strengthened the hug, desperately clinging onto me. I brought my attention to the slim case holding his parents’ movie tickets on the desk, which had now been joined by Harvey’s coin and Alfred’s watch.

“You’re not losin’ it, Bruce. It’s normal for someone to go a little crazy when they lose as much as you have. I would know. I was the same once.” 

He didn’t say anything in response, but I knew he was listening.

“After my parents were murdered, and I was forced out of my home, the only thing on my mind for the next twenty years...was revenge. From the moment I set foot in England, I trained day and night, boxing, thieving, fighting, shooting--pretty much every crime you think of--just to prepare myself for the day I’d return. It was tough at first, since I didn’t have that many friends, but once I joined up with the Children of Arkham, it was practically a breeze the rest of the way. Sure, there were ups and downs, but just knowing that I’d finally be able to get revenge kept me going.”

Bruce gave me a look. “Is this supposed to reassure me?”

I chuckled. “Let me finish.” I scooted closer to him. “You see, the night I met you in that park, I ain’t gonna lie--you pissed me off. But not for the reasons you’re thinking. You pissed me off because, after two decades of thinking that you were just the biggest twat on the planet, and dedicating my life to killing you--you proved me wrong. I tried pushing you away in the beginning because of that, but now, look at us. We’re all we’ve got.”

Again, Bruce was quiet. I held his hand. “Look, my point here is: I know shit’s rough right now, but as long as we’ve got someone...hell--the world could end tomorrow, and I know damn well that we’d still be kickin’.”

I picked up his cowl and placed it on his lap. “Batman ain’t gone for good, Bruce. He’s just a little lost at the moment, but he can still be redeemed. After all, our job’s not finished yet.”

His eyes widened with realization. “Lady Arkham. She’s still out there.”

Bruce took the cowl into his grip, examining it. “We have to stop her, but Gordon’s not gonna let Batman get anywhere near the asylum. Not after what he did.”

“So,” I asked, “what d’you have in mind?”

Bruce stood up from his seat, putting the cowl down on the table. “We’re still going, but this time...Batman’s wearing the mask.”


	22. Break the Chains

From Bruce’s POV

I sat in my car, observing Arkham Asylum from a distance while Oz opened up a map of the gothic building. Things seemed to be less chaotic here ever since Vicki released the patients, but judging by the tight security, they hadn’t completely regained total control just yet. There were police officers patrolling every corner, guard dogs sniffed their way around, and search lights glided along the ground. Well, the front door was obviously not an option. But the asylum was old--there had to be another way in.

Just then, I saw Gordon himself emerge from inside, accompanied by Montoya and a few other officers. He was wearing the commissioner’s uniform, and a despondent expression was plastered on his face.

“Oz,” I said, “Gordon’s here. Any way you can help me hear what he’s saying?”

“Well, everyone and their mum’s got a phone on them these days. I can try hacking his, and connecting the microphone to your earpiece.”

“Give it a shot.”

I saw a dim, square-shaped light glow from inside Gordon’s pocket. There was a string of static for a few moments, until his voice finally broke through.

“--ow’s it going in there?” He asked Montoya.

“Zsasz is back in his cell, and that blue brute’s in the infirmary. Penguin took his eye out--quite literally. Other than that, everything’s going smoothly. For now.”

Gordon sighed, dragging a hand down his face. Montoya patted his shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Jim. I know you were good friends with Grogan.”

“I...I just can’t believe he’s really gone...just like that. I ever see that Bat-freak vigilante again, he’s dead. What the hell’s gotten into him?”

Montoya crossed her arms. “Do you think Batman could’ve been drugged?”

Gordon’s brow furrowed at the suggestion. “...I don’t know. I mean, I guess anyone could be a victim of it. You were hit with it, so was Dent...and even Wayne. Who knows. Maybe Lady Arkham thought Batman would make a useful addition to her arsenal. That would explain why he saved Penguin.”

I switched over to Oz. “Montoya thinks Batman was drugged when he attacked Grogan. Though, I’m not sure if Gordon’s buying it.”

“Well, let’s hope he does. We can’t afford having the GCPD up our arses. But listen: I found another way into the asylum. If this map is accurate, then Gotham’s catacombs run directly underneath Arkham. If Vicki’s hiding anywhere, that’d be the place. There should be an entrance nearby.”

I searched around the perimeter, seeing nothing but what looked like endless miles of barbed-wire fences. At the end of the road however, I noticed a small, brick wall with a doorway in it as well as a staircase leading downwards behind it. 

“I think I see it. I’m heading in.”

“...Bruce?”

“Yeah?”

Oz was quiet for a second. “...be safe. Okay?”

I wished that were an option. 

“I will.”

Exiting the car as it drove off on its own, I quickly rushed over to the catacomb’s entrance, doing my best to vanish from sight before anyone could see me. Reaching the doorway, I gazed down into the nearly pitch-black abyss, a bone-biting cold breeze escaping from the tunnels with a whistling hiss. It felt like I was walking into the embrace of death itself.

I took a deep breath and readied my gun. After so long of wanting vengeance for Alfred and Harvey, my chance was finally here. Whether or not I left these catacombs alive, Lady Arkham was not getting out.

With one last look of the outside world, I descended the stone staircase and disappeared in the tunnels as the darkness soon consumed everything around me, welcoming me into the tomb.

~~~~~~~~~~

Snaking around the dark catacombs, I followed the narrow paths lined with countless bones and skulls, having nothing but the occasional, flickering lamp to light the way. A deathly silence sat in the chilly air, and the only thing I could hear was my own pounding heartbeat.

“Oz?” I whispered, even if no one else was here. “You there?”

No response. The signal was probably being blocked by the walls. I was all alone down here. 

I had to admit: this place terrified me, and I didn’t know why. Somehow, that made it worse.

I mean, I had seen my fair share of human remains by now, and aside from Lady Arkham, there wasn’t any other threat creeping around that I knew of. And maybe that was just it. I had no idea what I was throwing myself into, and without the Batsuit, I felt completely defenseless.

My mind lit up with realization. For the past two decades, it had always been Batman solving my issues for me. Bruce Wayne never had to fight one-on-one with his enemies, and now that Batman was no longer there to help, I felt more vulnerable than ever. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe I should’ve waited until Oz recovered. 

Halting in my tracks, I prepared to turn around and leave, but I planted my feet into the ground and stopped myself. I couldn’t walk away. No matter how scared I was. Not now. Not after so much had happened. The more I postponed this, the more damage Lady Arkham was going to do. I had to deal with her now.

Swallowing my fear, I steeled myself and braced for whatever was about to come, when suddenly, a voice traveled through the tunnels.

“Well, well, look who came crawling out of their hole, just to crawl into another one.” It was Lady Arkham.

“Bruce Wayne...you’re the last person I expected. Then again, after what your family did to mine, it only makes sense. Have you come to finally accept your punishment?”

I whipped around, trying to find the source of the voice. She was nowhere to be seen.

“You know,” she continued, “I’m surprised you didn’t just hide behind your power and let Batman fight your battles for you. That man protects you like you’re his son. Though, considering what he just did to the commissioner, he probably can’t do much now, can he?”

I picked up my pace, delving deeper into the catacombs.

“Where are you!?” I exclaimed. “Come out!”

Just then, I heard something snap with my next step and, out of instinct, immediately jumped away as a row of spikes shot out of the wall.

“Hmm,” Lady Arkham chuckled, “you’re certainly more agile than I thought. It’ll be interesting to see if you can survive these traps.”

“Enough games, Vicki.” I stood back up. “Come out of hiding so we can settle this for good.”

“Feeling brave, are we?” Another laugh. “We’ll see how long that lasts.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I could’ve sworn I saw Lady Arkham for a split second before she disappeared behind a wall. I didn’t know if she was actually there, or if I was just seeing things, but I decided to follow the figure and began chasing after her.

I twisted and turned through the skinny tunnels, starting to lose track of how far I had traveled. The catacombs looked the same everywhere, and the paranoia of being caught in another one of Vicki’s traps kept me constantly on edge.

After a few more minutes though, I eventually found myself standing in the middle of what looked like to be a small chapel.There were stone pillars supporting the ceiling above, and the orange glow of candlelight swayed on the aging walls, causing the shadows to deform.

Up ahead, I saw Lady Arkham herself standing in front of the altar with her staff in hand, as always, and her back was facing me. I approached her.

“...you.” I breathed, suddenly feeling powerless. “...it’s you.”

She turned around and glared at me, but said nothing. I gazed down at the gun in my hand.

“You took everything from me. Harvey, Alfred...” I took a step closer. “...you even tried to take Oz.”

Out of nowhere, my sadness was washed away by a wave of anger and I aimed the gun directly at her head. My finger inched towards the trigger. 

“I’m. Done. Letting you torment me--along with everyone else in this goddamn city! If I die, I’m going out fighting.”

Lady Arkham smirked at me. “Do you even know how to use that gun? Have you even ever taken a life? Watched the spirit drain out of someone’s eyes as they savored their final moments on Earth? You’re nothing but a babe in the woods, Wayne. The larva of your father’s crimes. You’ve got guts to come down here alone--I’ll give you that--but ultimately, you’re still a fool. You can try to kill me all you like. Even if I die, the Children of Arkham will thrive. We’re too powerful to vanish now.”

I scoffed. “You think this is about the Children of Arkham? About Gotham’s safety? Quite frankly, I couldn’t give a shit about any of that right now. No. This is about you putting me through a living hell, and destroying everything I ever cared about. Now, it’s my turn to kill what you care about.”

She spread her arms to her side in a taunting manner. “Everyone I care about died ages ago. There’s nothing for you to take.”

I decided to bluff and averted my aim from her, pointing the gun at my own head. Her eyes popped open. 

“What the--!?” Lady Arkham blurted. “What are you doing!?”

I laughed. I was in control now.

“Everything you’ve done, everyone you’ve murdered--your only motivation all along...was always to kill me. I’m gonna die today, by my own hand, and you’ll live the rest of your life knowing you failed to avenge your parents.” I cocked the gun. “If I’ve learned anything growing up, it’s that no wound cuts deeper than those in the mind.”

A bolt of lightning suddenly burst out of her staff and at the gun, throwing it out of my hand as it seared through the edge of my ear and blood began gushing down the side of my neck. I was staggered for a moment before regaining composure and dodging her next attack. This time, the lightning blasted straight into one of the pillars, an ominous cracking sound emitting from it.

“You little shit!” Lady Arkham roared. “You walk in here, acting like you have the upper hand, and have the audacity to threaten me!?” She charged her staff, an electric light crackling all over it. “Very well. You’ll get your challenge. But you’re going to die screaming, and once I’m done ripping you to shreds, I’ll go after that whore you call a lover.”

I grinned. “Try me.”

With the shriek of a madman, Lady Arkham darted towards me before leaping into the air, preparing to strike her staff down onto me. I rolled out of the way and fired a bullet into her leg, causing her to tumble once she hit the floor. Though, due to her armor, she was nearly unscathed by the attack, and quickly jumped back up, ready to fight.

As if she were Zeus, she began raining down a storm of lightning bolts, smashing the furniture in the chapel and shattering the stained glass as smoke filled the air.

I could see the structures around us beginning to crumble as tiny rocks and dust fell from above, the ground beneath my feet slightly trembling. If Lady Arkham kept this up, we would both soon be crushed under the debris. I had to get out of here.

Dashing in my direction, I hurriedly threw a punch at her and a few kicks in an attempt to push her back, only to have her slam the staff into the side of my abdomen. I found myself flying into one of the walls, and as soon as I made impact, it felt like my spine had dislocated to the front of my body.

Coughing in pain, I rose up from the ground regardless of how much it hurt, gripping onto a nearby table for support and taking one of the candlesticks in my hand. The minute Lady Arkham got close enough, I batted the metal object as hard as I could into her head, knocking her mask off as she reeled.

I took advantage of the opening and bashed the butt of my gun into her face, blood spraying out of her nose as the staff dropped from her hold and she fell to the floor. Without a second thought, I snatched the staff away from her and aimed it at her. I could feel the weapon vibrating with a low hum in my hands, and the yellow light continued to increase as the energy inside built up more and more.

The entire chapel was falling apart now, and multiple parts of it had already been smashed to bits by plummeting boulders. Lady Arkham let out a curse.

“Well, go on,” she snarled. “Do what you Waynes always do. Finish it.”

I hesitated, glancing back and forth from the staff to Lady Arkham. This was my chance. This was the moment I had been waiting for for so long, and had done so much to reach. 

Strengthening my grip on the staff, I began to charge up the violent energy and readied myself as I brought the fatal weapon closer and closer to her head. 

Before I could finish her off though, a flashback flooded my mind, and Alfred’s warm, familiar voice whispered in my ear.

“You’re a strong boy, Bruce--just like your father was. You’re not easily knocked down--and on top of that--you carry your mother’s compassion. There’s no deadlier combination when it comes to fighting hate.”

My mind cleared up with eye-opening realization, and I froze mid-action, slowly lowering the staff. What was I doing? What...had gotten into me? Was I...was I actually about to...kill her?

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Lady Arkham snapped. “Just do it.”

I shook my head and steadily took a step back, staring at her in what was a mixture of fear and shock as she looked at me with bewilderment.

“...no,” I said, throwing the staff down. “I’m not you...and I’ll never become you.”

Leaving her there, I began making my way out of the chapel as it started to collapse around me, boulders crashing left and right once the pillars finally gave in.

“Wayne...!” Lady Arkham shouted after me, crawling pathetically across the stone floor. “...get back here...! We’re not done!”

I ignored her as best as I could and continued walking, tearing myself away from the wretched catacombs. Even when I was a reasonable distance from the chapel though, I could still hear her yelling at me, her words abruptly coming to a halt when a particularly large boulder plunged down onto her.

But even then, I still kept walking, the fear from earlier vanishing. I didn’t know what it was, but I suddenly felt more free than I had ever felt in my whole life, and defeating Lady Arkham was like finally being able to shut the door on one of the darkest chapters of recent memory. 

In a way, facing Lady Arkham almost felt like coming face-to-face with my inner demons...and now she was gone. 

As I found the exit to the catacombs, a smile formed on my lips and I shut my eyes as I took a deep breath of the fresh air outside, gentle rain pattering down on me.

“--ruce?” Oz’s voice broke through. “Bruce? Everything all right? I lost signal with you for a bit there, but I think I’m gettin’ through now. You doin’ okay?”

I pressed the earpiece. 

“...I’m okay.” I said, a refreshing sense of relief filling me. “I’m finally okay.”


	23. The Guardian of Gotham

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before we begin this chapter, I'd just like to say thanks for all your support on this story, and I will definitely be writing more for you guys in the future. For now, I'll continue to focus on Batman as well as Cobblebats, but I'll also try something new sometime. Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy :)

From Bruce’s POV

ONE WEEK LATER

With a clink of our glasses, Oz and I both threw back our drinks in celebration as we watched the news, smiling from ear-to-ear at each other. For the first time in a while, the news didn’t make me want to rip my hair out, and it also wasn’t about me. Or, at least, it wasn’t about Bruce. Batman, on the other hand, was still a common sight in the media because of what happened with Grogan, and Gordon was doing everything he could to hunt the vigilante down. 

I frowned at the thought. The past few weeks had blurred by in one, chaotic frenzy, and my mind had fallen into what was one of the darkest places I’d ever been in. The fact that--for a time--I was actually willing to kill someone...and that I did...made me hate myself. I was just glad that I was able to stop myself before murdering Lady Arkham. It’s not that she didn’t deserve death--I just wasn’t meant to be the executioner. 

“You’re doin’ it again.” Oz said, breaking me from my thoughts. I quirked a brow at him in confusion.

“Doing what?” I asked as he took another sip from his glass. He chuckled.

“Y’know, that bloody puppy-face you always wear. You’ve practically patented it. I mean, don’t get me wrong--it looks cute on you and all--but smile for once, for fuck’s sake.”

I chuckled back. “Sorry. I was just thinking about what happened in the catacombs.”

“Yeah, we haven’t really gotten a chance to talk ‘bout that, have we? So, tell me. Lady Arkham. ...is she...?”

“She’s dead,” I confirmed with a nod. “The catacombs started to fall apart after our fight, and a boulder crushed her before she could escape.”

“You didn’t kill her?”

I looked away from him and gazed at the floor, placing my glass on the coffee table in front of us.

“I almost did,” I admitted regrettably. “I was so close. Almost to the point of no return.”

Oz leaned forward in his chair. “Well, what stopped you?”

I tilted my head upwards, examining the portrait of my parents which hung above the fireplace. After everything I’d learned about them, it was impossible to see them in the same way I did before, and a strange, eerie nostalgia began to clutch my heart. I couldn’t tell whether or not it was a good feeling.

“...I didn’t want to become him,” I answered. “I didn’t want to become a monster...and so I walked away.”

I fell into silence for a moment, awkwardly staring at the floor as I fidgeted with my hands, until Oz reached over and grabbed mine with his own. He brought my hand into his lap and rested it there, still smiling at me.

“Listen, love,” he began, “I don’t normally tell people this--probably because I’ve never had someone to tell it to...but I...am so proud of you,” Oz flashed a wink. “...Billionaire Boy.”

I laughed. “Thanks. You’re never gonna stop calling me that, are you?”

“Nope.” He relaxed again, leaning back into his chair. “And actually, now that I think ‘bout it, why don’t you have any nicknames for me, hmm?”

I thought for a second, biting my lip in concentration. “...what about Ozzie?”

His face flattened playfully. “Yeah--no. It ain’t cute enough. Makes it sound like you’re talkin’ ‘bout Ozzy Osbourne.”

“You know what?” I teased. “Just because you said that, I’m gonna stick with it.”

“...I take back everything I said earlier,” Oz joked. “You’re an absolute monster, and a disgrace to your name, and I hate you.”

I pretended to get up from my seat. “Well, then...guess I’ll just leave.”

Oz pulled me back down almost instantly, wrapping his arms completely around my chest and snuggling against me as he rested his head on my shoulder. 

“Don’t you dare,” he whispered in my ear. “Don’t you even think about it.”

I smirked and turned around, kissing him and caressing the side of his face as the two of us cuddled in the plush chair. 

“I’m not going anywhere,” I reassured. Oz gestured to the TV with his eyes.

“Well, maybe not anywhere.”

Bringing my attention back to the news, I saw the same reporter as always--Jack Ryder--giving out the latest information on the situation with Lady Arkham. Didn’t they have any other reporters working there?

“The damage done by the Children of Arkham has left Gotham city in turmoil,” he announced. “Faith in those at the top has, perhaps irrevocably, been shaken. Acting Commissioner James Gordon has promised to speak out about the issue tonight during an emergency city-wide address.”

The screen switched to Gordon. He was standing at a podium, delivering a speech.

“...and I hope, despite the recent terror that’s gripped our city, that Gotham’s leading citizens will come out to show their support--”

The TV suddenly went black after Oz shut it off, placing the remote down.

“Gordon’s said that he wants Gotham’s most prominent citizens to back him up at the city address. Citizens like you. Normally...I’d suggest stayin’ away from the geezer, but I think you should go, Bruce. Show ‘em who you really are...like you did to me.”

I agreed. “This could be a fresh start. For both me and the city.”

“A fresh start would be appreciated. ‘Specially after all the shit we’ve been through. But you’ve done a lot of good for Gotham, Bruce. Your appearance at the speech would make quite an impact.”

Oz grinned. “Just try not to beat anyone up this time, all right?”

I shrugged sarcastically and rolled my eyes, exiting the parlor. “I don’t know, Ozzie. I’m a wild one these days.”

“I will actually fight you if you call me that again.”

I started heading for the front door, throwing my suit jacket on as Oz followed me from behind. “You’re just not very nice, are you? I’m hurt.” I remarked.

Oz pushed me out the door. “Okay, you’ve been ‘round me too much, mate. Stay ‘round any longer, and you’ll start to look like me.”

“Would that be such a bad thing?” I winked. Or, at least, I tried. 

“Don’t be stupid. You can’t go to the speech lookin’ like me. I can’t have Gotham thinkin’ I’m actually a good person.”

The two of us shared a quick laugh, standing by the front door as I took out my car keys and prepared to head out. The weather outside was quiet and peaceful today, and only a few clumps of fluffy clouds floated in the otherwise clear, blue sky as the sun radiated warm, golden rays onto the city. A cool, gentle breeze glided out from within the manor and caused Oz’s hair to softly sway, along with the collar on his coat. 

“Bruce,” he called out before I could leave, “on a serious note,” he turned away, blushing. “...thanks. For everything. I mean it.”

I nodded as a “you’re welcome,” and pulled him into a brief, but tight hug.

“No. Thank you. This is going to sound cheesy, but I genuinely don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Oz patted my back. “And you’ll never find out. Now get outta ‘ere, and make sure you get some screen time, all right? I wanna take a picture of you on TV so I can brag ‘bout it to my friends over in England.”

I chortled. “I’ll be sure to throw in a few poses for you.”

“And this is why I love you. Anyways, enough of that. You should get to the address before Gordon shines a light with your name on it at the moon.”

With one last, quick kiss, Oz remained at the doorway while I skipped down the stairs and into my car, waving him goodbye as I began to drive away. Rushing through the city’s streets, I couldn’t help but notice that something about Gotham felt...different today. Not calm or peaceful, necessarily. But rather, hopeful in a way. Hope was, unfortunately, a rare sight these days, and I was glad that Gordon decided to take a stand. Our personal problems aside, it was something that the city needed, and I was more than willing to help.

Before I could drive any further though, a sudden, all-too-familiar voice jumped out of nowhere and spoke to me from the car’s back seat.

“...I told you I’d see you again.”


End file.
